What is the role of the school environment?
The school environment can be a big reason why EBSNA happens or gets worse. Things like bullying, discrimination, being punished too harshly, or not getting the right help for learning or mental health problems can really affect how a student feels. If these negative things keep happening, they can make mental health problems worse and make students feel lonely or unwelcome at school.
Some children and young people experiencing EBSNA seem fine at school, get good grades, and behave well. But some might quietly struggle with problems like feeling depressed, feeling overwhelmed by noise or lights, having trouble talking to others, or finding it hard to make friends.
If no one notices these problems and helps them, even thinking about going to school can start to cause strong feelings of stress or fear. For some young people, staying away from school becomes their way of coping with how upset they feel.
Research shows that vulnerable students (especially those who are neurodivergent and have learning or mental health problems), get punished more at school and miss more lessons than other students. This creates a harmful cycle that makes their problems worse.