When a young person experiences a mental health crisis, they may have to take a substantial amount of time out of school. This can happen because their mental health symptoms make it too difficult to navigate their school environment or because their school cannot provide the support they need to stay safe while they are there. They may also take a break from school to focus on their recovery with intensive outpatient or residential treatment.
After an extended absence, it can be hard to decide whether to repeat the past school year or move on to the next one. Young people are often reluctant to repeat a year at school: they may want to stay in classes with their friends or worry about feeling left behind. They may also have concerns about stigma and acceptance by their new year group.
However, repeating a school year is often the right decision for a young person following a mental health crisis. Taking the time to complete the school year fully helps avoid unnecessary stress and anxiety as they return to full-time education. It can also give young people more space and time to build their recovery and prevent issues from coming back later on.
What Are the Benefits of Repeating a Year At School?
When a young person returns to school after a mental health crisis, they will probably face some emotional and social challenges. They may re-encounter some of the triggers that used to cause mental health symptoms and have to put into practice the skills and coping mechanisms they learnt during treatment. Socially, they may worry about judgment from their schoolmates or figuring out the right way to explain their absence.
In such contexts, feeling behind with work can constitute additional pressure that only increases stress and anxiety. This can create another challenge for young people to navigate and can make the existing ones feel even more difficult. Practically, having to catch up on previous work uses time and energy that could be used to reinforce mental health recovery.
This means that for some young people, repeating a year in school can be the best option for both their short-term and long-term well-being. With extended absences, school years are not really ‘done’. ‘Repeating a year’ isn’t really ‘repeating’ when much of the material will be new. Instead, it’s a year of opportunity-building that gives young people the time and space to put their mental health first and prevent challenges and concerns from returning later on.
Scientific studies also show that, in general, repeating a year in school has a positive impact, both in the short term and in the long term. One study found that groups of adolescents who repeated a year of secondary school tended to achieve better grades, experience less anxiety, and have a more positive self-evaluation of their abilities. These benefits were maintained throughout the years that followed.
Repeating a Year Doesn’t Have to Mean Repeating Work
It’s normal for young people to feel frustrated at the thought of having to repeat lessons or being taught things they already know. However, repeating a school year doesn’t have to involve learning things twice. Young people should be able to work with teachers and school staff to structure their learning, avoiding repetition and making the most of their time in school.
Deciding Whether to Repeat a Year at School
It’s often hard to decide whether to repeat a school year after a mental health crisis. Young people, parents, and teachers may have different opinions about what is best or be unsure about how to move forward.
It’s usually best to have conversations with the young person, teachers, and mental health professionals to find the right choice in each case. They can consider the impact of repeating a year (or not) on different aspects of the young person’s well-being and collaboratively plan the next steps.
Navigating Challenges When Repeating a Year
While repeating a year at school can sometimes be the best option for a young person’s well-being, it isn’t without its challenges. Often, the most difficult challenges are social ones. Young people may struggle with attending classes without their friends or be concerned about maintaining their friendships from previous years.
They may also feel anxious about making friends in their new year group and getting to know their peers.
While it’s normal to have these concerns, young people can usually find ways to navigate social challenges and maintain – and enrich – their friendships. Young people’s friendships often extend beyond school and lesson time; they can still see their friends outside of school or even during school breaks and extracurricular activities. They might want to plan to participate in activities and hobbies with certain friends or schedule free time to meet up with them.
Supporting the Return to School
When a young person returns to school after a mental health crisis, they’ve often been in some form of intensive or residential treatment. These treatment programs may support the transition back to school life, helping to minimise the social, emotional, and academic challenges they face.
This might involve:
- Arranging meetings within their previous and new year group
- Facilitating mediation with teachers, friends, and classmates
- Providing psychological support and coaching for the transition to a different year group and/or other social and emotional challenges
- Providing a dedicated case manager to oversee ongoing care and liaise with the school
The Wave Clinic: Specialist Mental Health Support for Young People
The Wave Clinic offers specialist mental health recovery programs for children, teenagers, and young adults. We combine exceptional clinical care with education, social responsibility, and enriching experiences, supporting young people to grow in self-confidence, develop new skills, and build fulfilling futures.
Our programs are family-centred and trauma-focused, acknowledging the systems and experiences that underpin young people’s mental health.
If you’re interested in finding out more about our programs, get in touch today.
