The landscape of secondary education in the United Kingdom has shifted dramatically in recent years. What was once dismissed as occasional truancy or teenage reluctance has evolved into something far more concerning: a mental health crisis manifesting in our classrooms, or more accurately, in the empty seats where anxious students should be sitting.

A Troubling Trend

Recent research has revealed the stark reality facing our young people. A survey conducted on behalf of stem4, a youth mental health charity, found that 28% of secondary school pupils aged 12-18 had not attended school over the past year because of anxiety. This figure represents more than a quarter of our student population actively avoiding school due to emotional distress, a phenomenon that has accelerated considerably following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Professor John Jerrim from UCL's Social Research Institute noted that in 2022, 26% of all Year 11 pupils in England reported playing truant at least once in the fortnight prior to being surveyed, representing an increase from 18% in both 2012 and 2018. What makes these statistics particularly concerning is the disproportionate impact on girls. In 2022, 29% of Year 11 girls reported skipping school in the previous two weeks, compared to 23% of boys.

This is not simply a matter of students dodging lessons. Dr Nihara Krause, founder of stem4, explained that emotionally-based school avoidance occurs when a child experiences extreme anxiety or distress relating to attending school, with the fear so great that they avoid going altogether. The implications are profound and far-reaching, affecting not only academic attainment but also life chances, social development, and future employment prospects.

Understanding the Roots of School Anxiety

The reasons behind this surge in anxiety-related absence are multifaceted. The stem4 survey found that nearly half of those surveyed reported mental health difficulties, including anxiety, depression, body image difficulties, eating disorders, self-harm, or behavioural problems. Of those experiencing mental health challenges, half indicated they avoided school because they felt unable to cope.

Dr Krause identified several contributing factors: 24% of students avoiding school cited family difficulties, 18% mentioned bullying or friendship issues, and others reported exam stress as primary reasons. The pandemic appears to have amplified these pressures. Before 2020, school absence rates in England were approximately 4-5%, but by the 2021/22 academic year, this figure increased to 7.6%.

The consequences extend beyond missed lessons. Dr Krause warned that what starts as a few days off school can quickly spiral into persistent absence, and without specialist support, some children will have their education and life chances significantly impacted.

The Urgent Need for Preventative Intervention

While the statistics paint a concerning picture, they also highlight an urgent need for accessible, evidence-based interventions that can support young people in managing anxiety and developing emotional resilience. Traditional mental health services are stretched beyond capacity. Just 15% of young people in need of mental health support report receiving professional treatment. Schools themselves often lack the resources and expertise to provide adequate support, leaving both parents and educators feeling ill-equipped to help.

This is where yoga and mindfulness interventions offer genuine promise. Rather than waiting for mental health crises to develop and then seeking specialist treatment, these practices provide proactive tools that students can use daily to regulate their emotions and manage stress.

The Evidence Base for Yoga and Mindfulness

The scientific evidence supporting yoga and mindfulness interventions in schools has grown considerably in recent years. Research involving young adolescents in the UK found that participants described a range of psychosocial impacts, including increased emotional regulation, positive mindset and self-confidence, and greater focus and concentration.

A systematic review by Khunti and colleagues of 21 school-based yoga intervention studies found significant improvements in mental health indicators such as stress, anxiety, and low mood in children and adolescents. These findings are not isolated. Studies have reported socio-emotional benefits after participation in yoga interventions, including improved emotional and behavioural self-regulation, stress, self-esteem, social interaction, relaxation, and sleep.

How Yoga and Mindfulness Support Emotional Regulation

At its core, emotional regulation involves the ability to manage and respond to emotional experiences in adaptive ways. This is precisely where yoga and mindfulness practices excel. Mindfulness is commonly defined as paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgementally. It encourages a compassionate attitude towards difficult thoughts and emotions, promoting self-regulation through redirection of attention to the present.

Yoga takes this further by incorporating physical practice. Yoga is a holistic system of practices that incorporates mindfulness and meditation together with postures, breath control, and relaxation, to engage both the mind and the body. This integration of physical and mental practice is particularly powerful for adolescents, who are navigating significant developmental transitions and the complexities of contemporary life.

The physiological mechanisms are well-documented. Yoga's stress-reducing properties are primarily attributed to its modulatory effect on the autonomic nervous system, helping to harmonise sympathetic and parasympathetic responses and facilitate a reduction in cortisol, the principal stress hormone. For teenagers dealing with chronic academic stress and social pressures, this physiological calming effect provides tangible relief.

Practical Benefits for Today's Teenagers

Beyond the research findings, the practical benefits of yoga and mindfulness for managing school anxiety are considerable. These practices teach young people concrete skills they can deploy in moments of stress: breathing techniques to calm an anxious mind before an exam, mindfulness exercises to manage overwhelming social situations, and physical postures that release tension accumulated throughout the school day.

Research has shown that yoga aids in anger management and boosts self-confidence among adolescents, with practices such as mindful breathing and guided relaxation improving anger control and helping adolescents develop adaptive responses to emotional triggers. For students struggling with the intense emotions that characterise adolescence, these tools can be transformative.

Moreover, yoga and mindfulness foster self-awareness and physical achievement, which enhance self-esteem and confidence. These become protective factors against risk-taking behaviours and provide a foundation for resilience that extends well beyond the school years.

Integration into School Life

The key to maximising the benefits of yoga and mindfulness lies in their integration into the school curriculum rather than treating them as optional extras. Recent research suggests mind-body interventions can help children and adolescents develop skills to better manage challenges in their everyday lives, but they require further integration into the curriculum for optimal benefit.

Some schools are already leading the way. Progressive institutions have begun offering regular yoga and mindfulness sessions as part of their pastoral care programmes, recognising that student wellbeing is fundamental to academic success. These sessions need not be lengthy or complex. Even brief daily practices can yield significant benefits when delivered consistently by trained instructors who understand the developmental needs of adolescents.

The implementation needn't be prohibitively expensive or time-consuming. Schools can train existing staff in basic mindfulness techniques, incorporate brief breathing exercises into the school day, or partner with external providers who specialise in youth yoga and mindfulness. The important factor is consistency and genuine institutional commitment to prioritising mental health alongside academic achievement.

A Path Forward

The crisis of anxiety-related school absence demands a multifaceted response. While addressing systemic issues such as exam pressure, social media use, and access to mental health services remains crucial, we cannot ignore the immediate need for accessible tools that help young people manage their emotional lives.

Yoga and mindfulness offer precisely this: evidence-based practices that can be integrated into school life to support emotional regulation, build resilience, and provide young people with agency over their mental wellbeing. These are not quick fixes or magic solutions. Rather, they are skills that, when practised regularly, can fundamentally change how young people relate to stress, anxiety, and the challenges of adolescent life.

Since mental health issues have increased over the past ten years in the UK, they are now the leading cause of disability and cost the British economy £105 billion annually. The cost of inaction, both in human and economic terms, is simply too high. By embracing yoga and mindfulness as core components of educational provision, we can equip the next generation with the tools they need not just to attend school, but to thrive there.

The empty classroom seats tell a story of young people in distress. Yoga and mindfulness cannot solve all the complex factors driving school anxiety, but they offer a compassionate, practical, and evidence-based way forward. In a time when traditional mental health services cannot meet demand, these practices represent an accessible form of support that every school can provide. The question is not whether we can afford to implement them, but whether we can afford not to.

References

1. stem4. (2024). More than a quarter of UK secondary pupils avoid school due to anxiety, survey finds. Retrieved from https://stem4.org.uk/

2. Jerrim, J. (2024). The rise in teenager skipping school across English-speaking countries. UCL Social Research Institute. Retrieved from https://www.ucl.ac.uk/

3. Sumner, G. et al. (2025). School-based yoga and mindfulness interventions for young adolescents: A qualitative study in a disadvantaged area. British Journal of Health Psychology.

4. Khunti, K. et al. (2023). The effects of yoga on mental health in school-aged children: A Systematic Review. PMC.

5. Perfect storm: emotionally based school avoidance in the post-COVID-19 pandemic context. (2024). PMC.