Development and Validation of the School in China REfusal EvaluatioN Scale (SCREEN): A Tool to Assess School Refusal in Chinese Adolescents

The escalating phenomenon of school refusal (SR) in China has emerged as a significant psychological and educational crisis, with recent surveys revealing a disengagement rate exceeding 70% among students in primary and secondary education. This study introduces the novel School in China REfusal EvaluatioN Scale (SCREEN), specifically designed to assess the multifaceted nature of SR in the Chinese educational context, incorporating culturally relevant socio-psychological variables. Through a robust methodological framework, this research develops and validates the SCREEN, involving the generation and validation of an item pool followed by exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. The reliability of the SCREEN was affirmed with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.778, and its validity confirmed through satisfactory factor loadings across multiple dimensions of school engagement. The study’s findings highlight the prevalence and complexity of SR across various educational stages, emphasizing the necessity for holistic intervention strategies that address educational, familial, and societal contributors to SR. The SCREEN’s effectiveness in identifying specific psychological factors contributing to SR underscores the potential for targeted interventions and educational reforms tailored to the unique needs of Chinese students. This research not only contributes to the academic understanding of SR but also provides a practical tool for early detection and intervention, advocating for an integrated approach involving educators, psychologists, and families to mitigate this educational challenge. Future research should focus on longitudinal studies to evaluate intervention efficacy and further refine assessment tools for broader application. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest. ### Funding Statement This study did not receive any funding ### Author Declarations I confirm all relevant ethical guidelines have been followed, and any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee approvals have been obtained. Yes The details of the IRB/oversight body that provided approval or exemption for the research described are given below: Ethics committee/IRB of the Centers of MingShiYouXin and MindSage gave ethical approval for this work. In compliance with ethical guidelines, informed consent was obtained from all participants or their legal guardians before their inclusion in the study. This information was thoroughly documented, adhering to both ethical standards and the requisite legal requirements concerning research involving minors. I confirm that all necessary patient/participant consent has been obtained and the appropriate institutional forms have been archived, and that any patient/participant/sample identifiers included were not known to anyone (e.g., hospital staff, patients or participants themselves) outside the research group so cannot be used to identify individuals. Yes I understand that all clinical trials and any other prospective interventional studies must be registered with an ICMJE-approved registry, such as ClinicalTrials.gov. I confirm that any such study reported in the manuscript has been registered and the trial registration ID is provided (note: if posting a prospective study registered retrospectively, please provide a statement in the trial ID field explaining why the study was not registered in advance). Yes I have followed all appropriate research reporting guidelines, such as any relevant EQUATOR Network research reporting checklist(s) and other pertinent material, if applicable. Yes All data produced in the present study are available upon reasonable request to the authors.