Date of Award
Spring 5-16-2025
Document Type
Project (696 or 796 registration)
Degree Name
Master of Science in Counseling
Department
Graduate Studies
Committee Chair
Taryn Akgul
Keywords
poor attendance, children and adolescents, cognitive-behavioral therapy
Abstract
Children and adolescents chronically absent from school are impacted by a range of individual, community, and economic factors. In addition, children and adolescents dealing with chronic absenteeism are often diagnosed or dealing with a mental health illness such as anxiety or depression. Perhaps, chronic absenteeism is pervasive and the rates of mental health disorders in children and adolescents are concerning. Thus, mental health professionals should understand what the previous and current literature is saying. This literature review examines three evidence-based interventions suggested for schools to improve attendance. The treatment with the most evidence in relation to school counselors working with chronically absent students is cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). Overall, further research on the effectiveness of CBT in a group setting and working with children and adolescents dealing with chronic absenteeism and mental health concerns will need further research. By implementing a CBT small group with children who struggle to come to school is an effective method towards increasing attendance rates in school. This group manual focuses on CBT based interventions to help elementary students with poor attendance. By implementing CBT techniques, students will learn skills such as cognitive reframing, problem solving, and coping skills to manage stress, regulate emotions, and improve motivation for attending school. The group will serve as an 8 week closed group, aligning with the ASCA National Model and ASCA Mindsets and Behaviors for Student Success.
Recommended Citation
Wollschlager, Haley, "Addressing Poor Attendance: A Counseling Group Manual For Upper Elementary Students" (2025). Dissertations, Theses, and Projects. 1023.
https://red.mnstate.edu/thesis/1023
