Learning problems: A program for early intervention in school phobia

During the past five years the authors have been conducting a clinical investigation into the causes and treatment of school phobia. From the beginning, a distinct relationship between prompt therapeutic intervention and remission of the acute symptom was noted. When treatment was initiated shortly after the symptom appeared, school attendance in most cases was resumed after a few weeks. By contrast, when treatment was delayed for a semester or more after the onset of the phobia, it persisted for months and even years after psychotherapy was begun. The relationship between the speed of intervention and the course of the symptom is shown in the article. The success of this pilot program has implications that go beyond the problem of school phobia. It is well known that other emotional disturbances often find their central expression in the school, appearing as behavior difficulties, learning problems, and the like. This gives the school tremendous potential-which has hardly been tapped-for the early detection and prevention of emotional disorders, and places it in a strategic position in any comprehensive program of mental health. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved)