Research on the cognitive-behavioral treatment of school refusal: A review and recommendations.

Cognitive-behavior therapy is frequently used in the treatment of school refusal, a challenging problem for mental health professionals and school authorities. We review the clinical and research support for the efficacy of cognitive-behavior therapy using recently published guidelines for determining the level of evidentiary support for psychosocial interventions. Although cognitive-behavior therapy appears to be a useful treatment for school refusal, further research is needed before it can be considered as having 'well-established' empirical status. Several other important methodological and theoretical issues are emphasized. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd.