School refusal: a hidden challenge for working parents

抄録

School refusal is rising globally and has reached an all-time high in Japan. It imposes critical work-family conflict on employed parents, with preliminary surveys linking it to job loss, depression, and anxiety. Despite its public health importance, work-family conflict due to school refusal has scarcely been studied in occupational health. This Opinion reviews existing research on parents of school-refusing children, discusses how occupational health professionals can support this underserved population, and outlines priorities for future research to mitigate the impacts on working-age parents’ health and employment.