Award Date

5-15-2026

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Psychology

First Committee Member

Christopher Kearney

Second Committee Member

Paul Nelson

Third Committee Member

Bradley Donohue

Fourth Committee Member

Courtney Coughenour

Number of Pages

127

Abstract

School absenteeism poses a critical challenge for educators, clinicians, and policymakers due to its strong associations with impairments across academic, social, mental health, and family domains. Traditional models conceptualize absenteeism systemically, using dimensional definitions (e.g., chronic absenteeism defined by missed days), or analytically, using categorical definitions (e.g., truancy, school refusal). Both approaches are limited in capturing the functional consequences of school attendance problems (SAPs). This study evaluated whether a functional impairment model, which emphasizes how domains of functioning are disrupted by absenteeism, provides a more accurate framework for predicting outcomes than absenteeism frequency alone. Using longitudinal data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study (n = 11,875), youth aged 10–13 were analyzed across three timepoints to assess the predictive utility of absenteeism and functional impairment across four domains: academic, social, mental health, and family functioning. Academic functioning was measured via grade point average, social functioning by number of close friends and peer-related CBCL subscales, mental health functioning by CBCL total problems and internalizing symptoms, and family functioning via youth and parent reports on the Family Environment Scale (FES). Mixed-effects models tested two hypotheses: (1) absenteeism predicts impairments across domains over time, and (2) domain-specific measures of functional impairment better predict outcomes than absenteeism alone. Model comparisons used Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) and Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC). Findings indicated that while absenteeism predicts declines in student well-being, the functional impairment model offers greater precision and clinical utility. Results support moving from punitive attendance policies to holistic, function-based interventions that promote engagement, mental health, and family stability.

Keywords

Adolsecent Brain Cognitive Development Study; Functional Impariment; Longitudinal; Mixed Effects Modeling; School Absenteeism; School Refusal

Disciplines

Clinical Psychology | Education | Social and Behavioral Sciences

File Format

PDF

File Size

1071 KB

Degree Grantor

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Language

English

Rights

IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

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