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ABC News
ABC News
Health

School refusals are on the rise. Experts say it's a symptom of broader mental health problems among our youth

Mala Mental Health Greg Elliott

Mark Catchpole has been looking forward to returning to school in Melbourne this week — he's got friends to see, hobbies to talk about and big plans for the year ahead.

"I think I'm really excited for school," he said.

But the 15-year-old wasn't always this enthusiastic about going back to the classroom.

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