Japanese phenomenon of chindren's school refusal, called Futoukou - Is it early mold illness or CFS?

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From another mailing list- Doesn't the connection seem obvious?

http://www.google.com/search?client=safari & rls=en & q=futoukou & ie=UTF-8 & oe=UTF-8

FUTOUKOU

KANJI: ÉÔ " o¹»

PRONUNCIATION: ¤Õ¤È¤¦¤³¤¦

ROMAJI: FUTOUKOU

MEANING: Being absent from school for a prolonged period of time, often due

to bullying,

depression, or failure to fit in with other students

http://www.jcie.or.jp/levi/e/FY2003.html

Youth Support Center (YSC), Tokyo

Grant Amount: \1.6 million

To expand the Community Uncle Project (CUP), aimed at youths with futoukou

(psychologically based refusal to attend school) or hikikomori (withdrawal

from society)

syndromes. CUP opens up employment opportunities for futoukou and hikikomori

youths

through job training and apprenticeships at local businesses. Aimed at

spreading CUP

nationwide, this project will produce a CUP administration manual and

conduct courses

around the country to train people to serve as liaisons between these youths

and

businesses.

http://www.pref.gunma.jp/c/05/seishin/english/q & a/hoken/futoukou.htm

School Non-Attendance

Q¡§My boy is in first year at junior high school. Since school restarted

at

the end of the

summer holidays in sixth year elementary school, he has been complaining of

headaches

and started to stay home from school. I took him to a paediatrician for

examination but

was told that there was nothing in particular wrong with him. He now spends

an inordinate

amount of time in his room. The school told me not to force him to attend

but I am really

unsure and nervous as to what should I do?

A¡§There are many reasons why children begin to refrain from going to

school.

For

example, many children complain of headaches, stomach aches, diarrhoea and

body

cramps etc. Although in many cases the doctors cannot diagnose any real

problem, the

children do not want to go to school and therefore often do not get up when

woken up in

the mornings.

From the children's point of view, he or she does not want to go to school

or feels unable

to go. Most children do feel a sense of guilt about not attending school and

forcing them

to attend or overly talking about the negative side of not attending school

only serves to

increase the mental strain on the child and hurt them more. In such cases

the child may

retreat to his or her room, display certain mental symptoms and in some

cases become

violent in the home.

When the child first starts to stop attending school it is important that

one listens to them

and their feelings closely. In addition it is important to consult with

teachers and strive to

encourage the child to return to school. The longer the period of absence

from the school,

the more difficult it is for the child to return.

In cases where it seems that a long-term absence from school is likely, it

is recommended

that you consult with an appropriate professional authority. The child will

often not wish

to go with his or her parent to a counsellor or hospital for help. In this

case parents should

go themselves to get advice on treatment and children's lifestyle follow-up

care etc.

Places for consultation - Child Counselling Centre (Jido Sodan-jo),

Comprehensive

Prefectural Education Centre (Sogo Kyoiku Centre), Education Research

Facility (Kyoiku

Kenkyu-jo), Mental Health & Welfare Center (Kokorono Kenkou Center)