Table 2.
Baseline clinical and sociodemographic characteristics for both intervention groups
| B2S (n = 74) | TAU (n = 78) | |
|---|---|---|
| Age, mean (SD) | 12.3 (2.1) | 12.0 (2.2) |
| Gender, males, no. (%) | 46 (62.2) | 46 (59.0) |
| Level of non-attendance previous 3 months: | ||
| High (> 50%), no. (%) | 38 (51.4) | 47 (60.3) |
| Low (< 50%), no. (%) | 36 (48.6) | 31 (39.7) |
| Age group: | ||
| 6–10 years, no. (%) | 13 (17.6) | 20 (25.6) |
| 11–16 years, no. (%) | 61 (82.4) | 58 (74.4) |
| Physical illness (e.g., asthma, allergies), no. (%) | 15 (20.3) | 19 (24.4) |
| Developmental delaysa, no. (%) | 14 (18.9) | 26 (33.3) |
| Developmental or psychological disorder: | ||
| Anxiety disorder, no. (%) | 10 (13.5) | 8 (10.3) |
| Depressive disorder, no. (%) | 8 (10.8) | 0 (0.0) |
| Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, no. (%) | 8 (10.8) | 8 (10.3) |
| Autism Spectrum Disorder, no. (%) | 6 (8.1) | 6 (7.7) |
| Learning disability, no. (%) | 7 (9.5) | 3 (3.8) |
| Intellectual disability, no. (%) | 1 (1.4) | 2 (2.6) |
| Conduct disorder, no. (%) | 0 (0) | 1 (1.3) |
| Otherb, no. (%) | 1 (1.4) | 3 (3.8) |
| Comorbidity, ≥ 2 disorders, no. (%) | 13 (17.6) | 10 (12.8) |
| Any disorder, no. (%) | 22 (29.7) | 18 (23.1) |
| Living arrangement: | ||
| Both parents, no. (%) | 41 (55.4) | 43 (55.1) |
| Single parent, no. (%) | 22 (29.7) | 19 (24.4) |
| Other/reconstituted family, no. (%) | 11 (14.9) | 16 (20.5) |
| Number of siblings in the household: | ||
| Only index child, no. (%) | 20 (27.0) | 14 (17.9) |
| 1, no. (%) | 27 (36.5) | 38 (48.7) |
| 2, no. (%) | 23 (31.1) | 23 (29.5) |
| ≥ 3, no. (%) | 4 (5.4) | 3 (3.8) |
B2S Back2School, TAU Treatment As Usual, SAP School Attendance Problems, SCAS Spence Child’s Anxiety Scale, MFQ Mood and Feelings Questionnaire, SDQ Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire
aLanguage (B2S: n = 6, TAU: n = 11), Motor skill (B2S: n = 4, TAU: n = 4), Social interaction (B2S: n = 2, TAU: n = 6), Learning (B2S: n = 1, TAU: n = 1)
bFunctional Somatic Symptoms (B2S: n = 1), Trauma (TAU: n = 2), Tourette (TAU: n = 1)