School Attendance ProblemsNCT07463001
Optimization and Testing Effectiveness of a Collaborative Intervention for School Attendance Problems in Norwegian Municipalities
A study testing Back2School in people with School Attendance Problems, run by Norwegian University of Science and Technology at 4 sites in Norway.
Trial summary
In this study we will investigate the effects of an intervention called Back2School, revised and adapted for Norwegian conditions on school attendance. A total of 240 participants will be recruited. All participants who have been enrolled will receive the intervention. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 9 to 15 years
- Conditions the study is for
- School Attendance Problems
- What is being tested?
- Back2School
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 240 participants
- Where
- 4 sitesNorway
- Study dates
- 10 Apr 2026to 1 Mar 2029
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 9 to 15 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Child
Who may be able to join
- Participants must be between the ages of 9 and 15 at the time of enrollment.
- Participants must have less than 80% attendance for the last 12 weeks of school at the time of screening.
- At least one parent has to talk and understand Norwegian.
- At least one parent has to be motivated to participate.
- The school must agree to participate in the intervention
Who cannot join
- 1 The participant has a known diagnosis of autism-spectrum disorder, psychosis, and/or eating disorder.
- 2. Participant needs acute psychiatric intervention.
Trial locations and contacts
4 sites in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
Kristin Ytreland, phd contact
Norway4 sites, 4 recruiting
- Recruiting
NORCE, RKBU Vest
Bergen
Kristin G Askeland, phd, +47 56 10 72 05, kras@norceresearch.no
Marit H Larsen, phd, mala@norceresearch.no
- Recruiting
Pilar, Regionsenter for barn og unges psykiske helse
Oslo
Simon P Neumer, phd, +4795820508, simon-peter.neumer@r-bup.no
Carina Lisøy, phd, carina.lisoy@r-bup.no
- Recruiting
UIT, RKBU Nord
Tromsø
Frode Adolfsen, phd, +4791126323, frode.adolfsen@ntnu.no
Therese B Halvorsen, therese.halvorsen@uit.no
- Recruiting
Norwegian University of Scinece and Technology
Trondheim
Jo M Ingul, phd, +4792869163, jo.m.ingul@ntnu.no
Elisabeth Valmyr Bania, phd, elisabeth.bania@ntnu.no
About this study
In this study we will investigate the effects of an intervention called Back2School, revised and adapted for Norwegian conditions on school attendance. A total of 240 participants will be recruited. All participants who have been enrolled will receive the intervention. Half of the participants will receive the intervention without delay (the experiment group), and the other half will receive it following a 13-week period (the control group). Following consent, screening for eligibility and randomization, the intervention will start with an assessment related to the individual participant and condition at the participants' school. Based on this a shared understanding and an intervention plan is developed. Over a 13-week period the youth, the family and the school, work together guided by the municipal team to increase attendance and solve problems related to this. Assessments will be carried out after the intervention and 6 months later.
- Conditions
- School Attendance Problems
- Being tested
- Back2School
- Keywords
- School attendance problems, Back2School, Norway, Randomized controlled trial, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Children and adolescents
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Back2SchoolBehavioural
The revised Back2S school manual consists of an initial assessment, a case formulation conference, 16 sessions and 3 meetings with different participants (parents, youth, school personnel) over 13 weeks. There is a booster session 12 weeks after the final session and one 24 weeks after the final session.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Direct intervention | Experimental | Participants randomized to this intervention will receive the 13 week intervention Back2School starting immediately after randomization. Receives: Behavioral: Back2School |
| Delayed intervention/ Wait list control | Other | Participants randomized to delayed intervention will ha to wait for 13-15 weeks following randomization before the intervention is started. During the waiting phase they can receive treatment as usual Receives: Behavioral: Back2School |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
School attendance
School attendance measured on a daily basis by teacher.
Measured: Direct: Avg at Baseline, 2 weeks at end (13 weeks from baseline), 2 weeks at 6 months (37 w from baseline) Delayed: Avg at baseline, 2 weeks before start (13 w from baseline) 2 weeks at end (28 w from baseline), 2 weeks at 6 months (54 w from baseline)
General functioning
Impact on daily life as measured by the SDQ impact scale
Measured: Direct start group: Will be measured at Baseline (T1), Week 15 from baseline (T2), Week 37 from baseline (T3) Delayed access group: Baseline (T1), Week 15 from Baseline (T1a), Week 29 from baseline (T2), Week 54 from baseline (T3)
Secondary outcomes (3)
Change in Quality of life
Measures perceived quality of life as reported by parents and child using Kidscreen 10
Measured: Direct start group: Will be measured at Baseline (T1), Week 15 from baseline (T2), Week 37 from baseline (T3) Delayed access group: Baseline (T1), Week 15 from Baseline (T1a), Week 29 from baseline (T2), Week 54 from baseline (T3)
Change in symptoms of anxiety
Measures change in symptoms of anxiety as measured by the SCAS reported by parents and child
Measured: Direct start group: Will be measured at Baseline (T1), Week 15 from baseline (T2), Week 37 from baseline (T3) Delayed access group: Baseline (T1), Week 15 from Baseline (T1a), Week 29 from baseline (T2), Week 54 from baseline (T3)
Change in symptoms of Depression
Change in symptoms of depression reported by child and parents using the SMFQ
Measured: Direct start group: Will be measured at Baseline (T1), Week 15 from baseline (T2), Week 37 from baseline (T3) Delayed access group: Baseline (T1), Week 15 from Baseline (T1a), Week 29 from baseline (T2), Week 54 from baseline (T3)
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted10 Mar 2026
- Study start10 Apr 2026
- Primary completion31 Dec 2028 (estimated)
- Study completion1 Mar 2029 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for School Attendance ProblemsStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Crossover
- Model description
- A Randomized Controlled Trial, 2-arm study, to investigate the effectiveness of the optimized Back2School intervention compared with Wait List Control (WLC) in improving school attendance in youth aged 9-15 with school attendance problems
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 240 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Norwegian University of Science and Technology
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- The Research Council of Norway, University of Tromso, University of Bergen, Regionsenter for barn og unges psykiske helse, Regionalt kunnskapssenter for barn og unge - Nord, NORCE Norwegian Research Centre AS, University of Stavanger, University of Aarhus
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Jo Magne Ingul, phd, Principal investigator, Norwegian University of Science and Technology
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07463001
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 353222
- Other IDs
- 907476, 658505
- Status last verified
- Oct 2026
- First submitted
- 26 Feb 2026
- Last updated
- 15 Oct 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No: Not allowed by Norwegian law and therefore not allowed by our ethical board
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 15 Oct 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Optimization and Testing Effectiveness of a Collaborative Intervention for School Attendance Problems in Norwegian Municipalities
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07463001
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 353222
- Conditions
- School Attendance Problems
- Keywords
- School attendance problems, Back2School, Norway, Randomized controlled trial, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Children and adolescents
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 240 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Norwegian University of Science and TechnologyUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- The Research Council of Norway, University of Tromso, University of Bergen, Regionsenter for barn og unges psykiske helse, Regionalt kunnskapssenter for barn og unge - Nord, NORCE Norwegian Research Centre AS, University of Stavanger, University of Aarhus
- Study start
- 10 Apr 2026 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 31 Dec 2028 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 1 Mar 2029 (estimated)
- First posted
- 10 Mar 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
In this study we will investigate the effects of an intervention called Back2School, revised and adapted for Norwegian conditions on school attendance. A total of 240 participants will be recruited. All participants who have been enrolled will receive the intervention. Half of the participants will receive the intervention without delay (the experiment group), and the other half will receive it following a 13-week period (the control group). Following consent, screening for eligibility and randomization, the intervention will start with an assessment related to the individual participant and condition at the participants' school. Based on this a shared understanding and an intervention plan is developed. Over a 13-week period the youth, the family and the school, work together guided by the municipal team to increase attendance and solve problems related to this. Assessments will be carried out after the intervention and 6 months later.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Crossover
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
- Model description
- A Randomized Controlled Trial, 2-arm study, to investigate the effectiveness of the optimized Back2School intervention compared with Wait List Control (WLC) in improving school attendance in youth aged 9-15 with school attendance problems
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Direct intervention | Experimental | Behavioral: Back2SchoolParticipants randomized to this intervention will receive the 13 week intervention Back2School starting immediately after randomization. |
| Delayed intervention/ Wait list control | Other | Behavioral: Back2SchoolParticipants randomized to delayed intervention will ha to wait for 13-15 weeks following randomization before the intervention is started. During the waiting phase they can receive treatment as usual |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 9 to 15 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Child
Key inclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Participants must be between the ages of 9 and 15 at the time of enrollment.
- Participants must have less than 80% attendance for the last 12 weeks of school at the time of screening.
- At least one parent has to talk and understand Norwegian.
- At least one parent has to be motivated to participate.
- The school must agree to participate in the intervention
Key exclusion criteria (2 listed)
- 1 The participant has a known diagnosis of autism-spectrum disorder, psychosis, and/or eating disorder.
- 2. Participant needs acute psychiatric intervention.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Back2SchoolThe revised Back2S school manual consists of an initial assessment, a case formulation conference, 16 sessions and 3 meetings with different participants (parents, youth, school personnel) over 13 weeks. There is a booster session 12 weeks after the final session and one 24 weeks after the final session. | Behavioural | Delayed intervention/ Wait list control, Direct intervention |
Primary outcome
School attendance
Time frame: Direct: Avg at Baseline, 2 weeks at end (13 weeks from baseline), 2 weeks at 6 months (37 w from baseline) Delayed: Avg at baseline, 2 weeks before start (13 w from baseline) 2 weeks at end (28 w from baseline), 2 weeks at 6 months (54 w from baseline)
School attendance measured on a daily basis by teacher.
General functioning
Time frame: Direct start group: Will be measured at Baseline (T1), Week 15 from baseline (T2), Week 37 from baseline (T3) Delayed access group: Baseline (T1), Week 15 from Baseline (T1a), Week 29 from baseline (T2), Week 54 from baseline (T3)
Impact on daily life as measured by the SDQ impact scale
3 secondary outcomes
Change in Quality of life
Time frame: Direct start group: Will be measured at Baseline (T1), Week 15 from baseline (T2), Week 37 from baseline (T3) Delayed access group: Baseline (T1), Week 15 from Baseline (T1a), Week 29 from baseline (T2), Week 54 from baseline (T3)
Change in symptoms of anxiety
Time frame: Direct start group: Will be measured at Baseline (T1), Week 15 from baseline (T2), Week 37 from baseline (T3) Delayed access group: Baseline (T1), Week 15 from Baseline (T1a), Week 29 from baseline (T2), Week 54 from baseline (T3)
Change in symptoms of Depression
Time frame: Direct start group: Will be measured at Baseline (T1), Week 15 from baseline (T2), Week 37 from baseline (T3) Delayed access group: Baseline (T1), Week 15 from Baseline (T1a), Week 29 from baseline (T2), Week 54 from baseline (T3)
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 15 Oct 2026.
- Official webpage of the studyLink provided by the sponsor.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No. Not allowed by Norwegian law and therefore not allowed by our ethical board
Related trials for School Attendance Problems
Recruiting
Health Equity and Rural Education (HERE!) Clinical Trial
Behavioral Symptoms, Community Health Workers
Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
Kristin Ytreland, phd contact
Jo Magne Ingul, phd principal investigator
Norwegian University of Science and Technology
4 sites in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Back2School in people with School Attendance Problems, run by Norwegian University of Science and Technology at 4 sites in Norway.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 5 inclusion and 2 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 15 Oct 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 4 sites in Norway. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Jo M Ingul, phd (+4792869163, jo.m.ingul@ntnu.no), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
School attendance (time frame: Direct: Avg at Baseline, 2 weeks at end (13 weeks from baseline), 2 weeks at 6 months (37 w from baseline) Delayed: Avg at baseline, 2 weeks before start (13 w from baseline) 2 weeks at end (28 w from baseline), 2 weeks at 6 months (54 w from baseline)). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 15 Oct 2026.