The Role of Mental Health Problems in the Relationship Between Spelling Skills and School Anxiety

Abstract: The study examines the relationship between spelling, mental health, and school-related anxiety in a sample of 291 third-graders. It investigated whether children with spelling disorder differ from their peers in comorbid mental health problems and school-related anxiety, and whether the relationship between spelling and school-related anxiety is mediated by mental health problems or whether a direct relationship exists. Analyses of group differences using independent samples t tests showed that children with a spelling disorder exhibited significantly more symptoms of mental health problems as well as more pronounced school-related anxiety. A mediation analysis using a structural equation model revealed partial mediation, suggesting that part of the relationship between spelling and school-related anxiety is mediated by comorbid mental health problems, while the other part can be attributed to a direct relationship. These findings suggest that children with spelling disorder are at increased risk for school-related anxiety, even in the absence of comorbid problems.