Language Comprehension Disorders and Depressive and Anxious Symptoms: A Longitudinal Study From School Entry to Grade 9

PURPOSE: Impairments in language development are among the most common developmental disorders in childhood. Because language skills are of great importance for many different areas of life, especially for learning and psychosocial development, findings on the association between language problems and the experience of psychological stress are necessary. This study therefore aims to investigate the extent to which children with language comprehension problems at the start of school differ from children without language problems in terms of their psychological stress at the end of their school years. In addition, the effects of behavioral problems at the start of school on the mental health of students with language problems will be examined. METHOD: = 51 children who exhibited deficiencies in language comprehension at the first wave. RESULTS: The results show that children with problems in language development reported more depressive symptoms, manifest anxiety, and test anxiety at the end of their school career. In addition, various externalizing behavioral problems (including hyperactivity and problems with peers) were also found to be predictive of psychological stress. CONCLUSION: This study highlights that students with impairments in language development are particularly vulnerable for maladaptive psychosocial development throughout primary and secondary education.