Health-related quality of life and psychological wellbeing of children with Specific Learning Disorders and their mothers.
Kids with specific learning disorders and their moms report much lower psychological well-being than population norms.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Matteucci et al. (2019) asked Greek kids with specific learning disorders and their moms to fill out well-being surveys. They compared the scores to normal population data. No extra teaching or therapy was given; it was a one-time check-up.
What they found
Children with SpLD rated their own psychosocial health lower than typical kids. They also reported more anxiety and depression. Their mothers scored higher on anxiety and depression tests than moms in the general population.
How this fits with other research
The same pattern shows up across different labels. Chezan et al. (2019) found almost identical drops in quality of life for kids with Developmental Coordination Disorder. Caçola et al. (2018) saw the same thing one year earlier, proving the result isn’t new.
Lee (2013) stitched together 28 studies and confirmed moms of any child with a developmental disability carry extra stress and poor sleep. Zaidman-Zait et al. (2023) added that social support can protect moms, but only if the child also has a disability.
One twist: Adams et al. (2018) watched moms of children with rare genetic syndromes and saw challenging behavior raise stress but not clinical depression. Cristina’s moms, however, did reach clinical levels of anxiety and depression. The gap likely comes from measurement tools: Dawn tracked day-to-day stress, while Cristina used full anxiety and depression scales.
Why it matters
If you serve a child with a reading, writing, or math disorder, plan for two clients. Teach the child, but also screen Mom for anxiety and depression at intake. A quick parent stress scale takes five minutes and opens the door to respite, counseling, or parent-training groups. When Mom feels better, homework battles drop and skill gains stick.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: Literature suggests that Specific Learning Disorders (SpLD) can cause impairment of Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) and psychological well-being of children, and that this condition potentially affects parents' quality of life and well-being too. AIMS: This study aims first to explore HRQoL and psychological well-being among children with SpLD and second among mothers of children with SpLD. METHODS AND PROCEDURES: Thirty children aged 8-14 years diagnosed as having SpLD and their mothers completed a battery of scales to assess children's HRQoL and psychological well-being. Mothers also completed a battery of instruments to explore their personal HRQoL and psychological well-being. RESULTS: Compared with the general population, children with SpLD reported significantly lower level of psychosocial health, and mothers had a higher probability of being anxious and/or depressed. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: This study supports previous research about impaired HRQoL, symptoms of generalized anxiety, school-related anxiety and depressed mood in children with SpLD. Moreover, it provides evidence that mothers of children with SpLD may experience stress in coping with their child's disability and develop socio-emotional symptoms such as anxiety. Implications concern the need to implement effective supportive services among children with SpLD and their parents.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2019 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2019.02.003