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Differential Classification in School Refusal

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Leslie Atkinson ,
Bruce Quarrington ,
James J. Cyr  and
Frederick V. Atkinson
Leslie Atkinson*
Affiliation:
Early Intervention and Developmental Evaluation Services, Surrey Place Centre, Toronto, and Department of Psychology, Whitby Psychiatric Hospital, Whitby, Ontario
Bruce Quarrington
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, York University, Downsview, Ontario
James J. Cyr
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Whitby Psychiatric Hospital
Frederick V. Atkinson
Affiliation:
Department of Mathematics, University of Toronto
*
∗Surrey Place Centre, 2 Surrey Place, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 2C2
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Abstract

It has been argued that school refusal may not be a unitary syndrome, but a common presenting symptom founded on differing underlying dynamics. The paper explores this hypothesis empirically. The clinical files of 100 refusers were scored for several variables which could potentially differentiate between school refusal subtypes, and for several commonly accepted beliefs about school refusal. The data were subjected to a variety of analyses, culminating in cluster analysis. Cluster (C) 1 consisted of children who feared separation from dependent, overprotective mothers. C2 youngsters were perfectionistic and depressed. They dominated mothers who had been deprived in childhood. C3 consisted of extensively disturbed children from multiproblem families, who had suffered early separation or loss, and who were fearful and depressed.

Type
Papers
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 155 , Issue 2 , August 1989 , pp. 191 - 195
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1989 

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Footnotes

1.

The modified Kennedy criteria are available in tabular form from the authors on request.

2.

A more detailed description of the analyses and results can be obtained from the authors.

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