Factors associated with the development of psychiatric illness in children with early speech/language problems.

Green et al. (1987) looked at 600 children who came to a speech clinic. They asked: how many already have a psychiatric disorder?

The team used DSM-III rules to give each child a yes-or-no diagnosis. They then compared the kids who had a disorder with the kids who did not.

Half of the children met criteria for at least one psychiatric disorder. Language deficits, not age or income, were the clearest red flags.

In plain words, poor language skill was the strongest signal that a child also had mental-health needs.

Koskentausta et al. (2007) and Lecavalier et al. (2006) later asked the same question in children with intellectual disability. Both studies again found that language delays forecast later psychopathology, showing the 1987 pattern holds across different diagnoses.

Bakopoulou et al. (2016) seems to disagree: in primary students with specific language impairment, social-cognition scores—not language level—predicted teacher-rated socio-emotional problems. The studies do not really clash; the 1987 paper used DSM diagnoses while the 2016 paper used classroom behavior ratings, so each captured a different slice of the same big picture.

Myrbakk et al. (2008) added a practical twist: in clients who already show severe behavior, look for depression hidden behind screaming or self-injury. Together, the chain of findings tells us to keep both language and social-cognition on our radar.

If a child on your caseload has unclear or delayed language, plan a mental-health screen as routine, not optional. Share the risk data with parents early and loop in psychologists before problem behavior starts. A quick SDQ or similar checklist at intake can catch the one-in-two kids who need more than speech therapy alone.