Abstract
Over 100,000 children in Japan refuse to attend school and the situation is serious. Among these children, there is a subgroup diagnosed as having orthostatic dysregulation (OD). Symptoms of OD affect life habits and psychosocial backgrounds. Therefore, these children need mental and physical care. In this study, we used the tree drawing test to define the psychological traits of children with OD who refuse to attend school and investigated the parameters of adequate mental care for such patients. The subjects were 37 children with school refusal (20 children with OD, 17 children without OD). As a result, it was suggested that children with school refusal and OD tended to suppress themselves and feel helpless. Consequently, it is effective to promote their ability to express their feelings by psychotherapy with acceptance. For patients who refuse psychotherapy, it is necessary to adopt a non-verbal and non-structured therapy. Treatments of OD should include medication, guidance in daily life and consultation for parents and teachers in addition to psychotherapy from the perspective of whole-parson medicine, that is to say, holistic tailor-made care in the future.
