Understanding and tackling academic stress and school attendance problems within the school system; a co-creation approach

Introduction: Academic stress and school-attendance problems are a rising problem among youth. Preventive efforts at schools are crucial to reduce this increase though knowledge is lacking on how schools can address this complex problem. Building on the Multi-Tiered System of support, the purpose of this study was to identify leverage points for prevention at multiple levels of support (universal, selective, intensive). Method: 19 professionals (18 women, 2 men), 8 adolescents between 12 and 25 years (7 girls, 1 boy) and 5 parents (4 women, 1 men) participated in four different focus groups. The focus groups were set-up and guided using a co-creation method. Results and discussion: Thematic analyses of the recordings and written content identified three themes; (1) adolescents and learning; (2) the school context; (3) parental involvement. For each theme leverage point for prevention of academic stress and school attendance problems were identified, taking into account the multiple levels of support. This research highlights that addressing academic stress and attendance problems requires a broader focus beyond individual factors, emphasizing the importance of the learning context and school level influences. Effective prevention strategies should be tailored to specific school characteristics, incorporating both individual support and school-wide approaches to reduce academic stress and enhance school attendance of adolescents.