BIANCA was in primary six when she stopped going to school. She was absent for three and a half years, during which time she rarely left home and lost contact with friends. She had faced difficulties with her mental health throughout her childhood and was experiencing anxiety. She was also self-harming and had attempted suicide.
Sitting in a café in Glasgow, Bianca, whose real name we’re agreed not to use to protect her privacy, is now 17. “It was really hard, I didn’t feel very good, and I couldn’t cope with going to school or going out,” she says.
