Abstract
Research has shown that learning disabilities are associated with internalizing problems in (pre)adolescents. In order to examine this relationship for math disability (MD), math achievement and internalizing problem scores were measured in a representative group of 1,436 (pre)adolescents. MD was defined by a discrepancy between math achievement and IQ. Internalizing problems were measured through a multi-informant (parents, teachers, self-report) approach. The results revealed that MD puts (pre)adolescents at a higher risk for internalizing problems. External and self-ratings differed between boys and girls, indicating that either they show distinct internalizing symptoms or they are being perceived differently by parents and teachers. Results emphasize the importance of both a multi-informant approach and the consideration of gender differences when measuring internalizing symptomatology of children with MD. For an optimal treatment of MD, depressive and anxious symptoms need to be considered.
References
1999). Problems of behaviour, reading and arithmetic: Assessments of comorbidity using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. The British Journal of Educational Psychology, 69, 571–585. doi: 10.1348/000709999157905
(1989). Cognitive and social correlates of DSM-III disorders in preadolescent children. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 28, 842–846. doi: 10.1097/00004583-198911000-00005
(1992). Effects of age and pubertal status on depression in a large clinical sample. Development and Psychopathology, 4, 5–28. doi: 10.1017/S0954579400005538
(2008). Emotional and behavioral characteristics over a six-year period in youths with persistent and nonpersistent dyscalculia. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 41, 263–273. doi: 10.1177/0022219408315637
(1999). Persistent arithmetic, reading, or arithmetic and reading disability. Annals of Dyslexia, 49, 45–70. doi: 10.1007/s11881-999-0019-8
(1999). Stress, depression, and suicide among students with learning disabilities: Assessing the risk. Learning Disability Quarterly, 22, 143–156. doi: 10.2307/1511272
(1996). Psychosocial correlates of dyslexia across the lifespan. Development and Psychopathology, 8, 539–562. doi: 10.1017/S0954579400007264
(1988). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
(1997). A competency-based model of child depression: A longitudinal study of peer, parent, teacher, and self-evaluations. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 38, 505–514. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-7610.1997.tb01537.x
(2007). Leitlinien zu Diagnostik und Therapie von psychischen Störungen im Säuglings-, Kindes- und Jugendalter
. ([Guidelines on the diagnosis and therapy of mental disorders in infancy, childhood, and adolescence] . Cologne, Germany: Deutscher Ärzte-Verlag.2012). Gender differences in mathematics anxiety and the relation to mathematics performance while controlling for test anxiety. Behavioral and Brain Functions, 8, 1–9. doi: 10.1186/1744-9081-8-33
(2013). Gender differences in developmental dyscalculia depend on diagnostic criteria. Learning and Instruction, 27, 31–39. doi: 10.1016/j.learninstruc.2013.02.004
(2000). Internationale Klassifikation Psychischer Störungen. ICD-10. Klinisch-diagnostische Leitlinien
([The ICD-10 classification of mental and behavioural disorders – clinical descriptions and diagnostic guidelines] . Bern, Switzerland: Huber.2006a). Mannheimer Elternfragebogen zur U10 und U11
([Mannheim parent questionnaire for the medical screening of 7- to 8-year-olds and 9- to 10-year-olds] . Cologne, Germany: BVKJ.2006b). Mannheimer Jugendlichen Fragebogen (MJF) für 12-16-Jährige zur J2
([Mannheim adolescent questionnaire for the medical screening of 12- to 16-year-olds] . Cologne, Germany: BVKJ.2008). Basisdiagnostik Umschriebener Entwicklungsstörungen im Grundschulalter (BUEGA)
([Basic diagnostics of specific developmental disorders at primary school age] . Göttingen, Germany: Hogrefe.2002). Was wird aus Achtjährigen mit einer Lese- und Rechtschreibstörung – Ergebnisse im Alter von 25 Jahren
([What becomes of children with reading and spelling difficulties at age 8 – results at age 25] . Zeitschrift für Klinische Psychologie und Psychotherapie, 31, 235–242. doi: 10.026/1616-3443.31.4.2352005). Show me the child at seven II: Childhood intelligence and later outcomes in adolescence and young adulthood. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, and Allied Disciplines, 46, 850–858. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-7610.2005.01472.x
(2013). Prävalenz von Lernschwächen und Lernstörungen: Zur Bedeutung der Diagnosekriterien
([Prevalence of learning disabilities and learning disorders: The importance of diagnostic criteria] . Lernen und Lernstörungen, 2, 65–76. doi: 10.1024/2235-0977/a0000352005). The prevention, identification, and cognitive determinants of math difficulty. Journal of Educational Psychology, 97, 493–513. doi: 10.1037/0022-0663.97.3.493
(2008). Intensive intervention for students with mathematics disabilities: Seven principles of effective practice. Learning Disability Quarterly, 31, 79–92. doi: 10.2307/20528819
(1997). The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire: A research note. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 38, 581–586. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-7610.1997.tb01545.x
(2000). Using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) to screen for child psychiatric disorders in a community sample. International Review of Psychiatry (Abingdon, England), 15, 166–172. doi: 10.1080/0954026021000046128
(1998). The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire: A pilot study on the validity of the self-report version. International Review of Psychiatry (Abingdon, England), 15, 173–177. doi: 10.1080/0954026021000046137
(1995). Symptoms versus a diagnosis of depression: Differences in psychosocial functioning. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 63, 90–100. doi: 10.1037/0022-006X.63.1.90
(1999). Learning disabilities and psychosocial adjustment: A critical review. Child Neuropsychology, 5, 171–196. doi: 10.1076/chin.5.3.171.7335
(1996). Developmental dyscalculia: Prevalence and demographic features. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, 38, 25–33. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-8749.1996.tb15029.x
(2000). Prevalence and expression of depressive symptomatology in students with and without learning disabilities. Learning Disability Quarterly, 23, 24–36. doi: 10.2307/1511097
(2002). PSB-R 4–6. Prüfsystem für Schul- und Bildungsberatung für 4.–6. Klassen – Revidierte Fassung
([Check system for school and education counseling for grades 4–6 – revised version] . Göttingen, Germany: Hogrefe.2004). PSB-R 6–13. Prüfsystem für Schul- und Bildungsberatung für 6. bis 13. Klassen – Revidierte Fassung
([Check system for school and education counseling for grades 6–13 – revised version] . Göttingen, Germany: Hogrefe.1993). Adolescents with learning disabilities at risk? Emotional well-being, depression, suicide. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 26, 159–166. doi: 10.1177/002221949302600303
(1995). The significance of self-reported anxious symptoms in first grade children: Prediction to anxious symptoms and adaptive functioning in fifth grade. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, and Allied Disciplines, 36, 427–437. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-7610.1995.tb01300.x
(1984). Social-cognitive and cognitive correlates of depression in children. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 12, 605–620. doi: 10.1007/BF00916853
(1989). Depression in children and adolescents: Assessment issues and recommendations. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 13, 109–146. doi: 10.1007/BF01173268
(2013). Internalizing problems of adults with learning disabilities: A meta-analysis. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 46, 317–327. doi: 10.1177/0022219411422260
(2010). Comorbidity of learning disorders: Prevalence and familial transmission. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, and Allied Disciplines, 51, 287–294. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-7610.2009.02164.x
(1998). Gender differences in anxiety disorders and anxiety symptoms in adolescents. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 107, 109–117. doi: 10.1037/0021-843X.107.1.109
(2000). Clinical implications of “subthreshold” depressive symptoms. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 109, 345–351. doi: 10.1037/0021-843X.I09.2.345
(1994). The prevalence of specific arithmetic difficulties and specific reading difficulties in 9- to 10-year-old boys and girls. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 35, 283–292. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-7610.1994.tb01162.x
(2006). Depression among students with learning disabilities: Assessing the risk. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 39, 3–10. doi: 10.1177/00222194060390010201
(2004). Patterns of agreement between parent and child ratings of emotional and behavioral problems in an outpatient clinical setting: When children endorse more problems. Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics: JDBP, 25, 150–155. doi: 10.1097/00004703-200406000-00002
(2003). Complexities in identifying and defining mathematics learning disability in the primary school-age years. Annals of Dyslexia, 53, 218–253. doi: 10.1007/s11881-003-0011-7
(1986). The relationship between specific reading retardation, general reading backwardness and behavioural problems in a large sample of Dunedin boys: A longitudinal study from five to eleven years. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, and Allied Disciplines, 27, 597–610. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-7610.1986.tb00185.x
(2010). SLRT-II. Lese- und Rechtschreibtest. Weiterentwicklung des Lese- und Rechtschreibtests (SLRT)
([Reading and spelling test SLRT-II. Revised version of the reading and spelling test SLRT] . Bern, Switzerland: Huber.2011a). Learning disabilities and anxiety: A meta-analysis. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 44, 3–17. doi: 10.1177/0022219409359939
(2011b). A meta-analysis of parent and teacher reports of depression among students with learning disabilities: Evidence for the importance of multi-informant assessment. Psychology in the Schools, 48, 371–384. doi: 10.1002/pits
(2007). Hamburg-Wechsler-Intelligenztest für Kinder-IV (HAWIK-IV) [Hamburg-Wechsler intelligence test for children – IV (HAWIK-IV)]. Bern, Switzerland: Hogrefe.
(1999). Relationships between learning difficulties and psychological problems in preadolescent children from a longitudinal sample. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 38, 429–436. doi: 10.1097/00004583-199904000-00016
(2001). Internalizing behavior problems and scholastic achievement in children: Cognitive and behavioral pathways as mediators of outcome. Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 30, 536–551. doi: 10.1207/S15374424JCCP3004
(2012). Basic numerical capacities and prevalence of developmental dyscalculia: The Havana survey. Developmental Psychology, 48, 123–35. doi: 10.1037/a0025356
(1989). Depression, anxiety, and attributional style in learning-disabled and non-learning-disabled children. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 18, 299–304. doi: 10.1207/s15374424jccp1804_2
(2000). Developmental dyscalculia: Prevalence and prognosis. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 9, 58–64. doi: 10.1007/s007870070009
(1995). Developmental dyscalculia behavioral and attentional aspects: A research note. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 36, 1261–1268. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-7610.1995.tb01369.x
(1986). Normative and reliability data for the children’s depression inventory. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 14, 25–39. doi: 10.1007/BF00917219
(2002). Definitionsmöglichkeiten und sich daraus ergebende Häufigkeit der umschriebenen Lese- bzw. Rechtschreibstörung – theoretische Überlegungen und empirische Befunde an einer repräsentativen Stichprobe junger Erwachsener
([Definition options and the resulting incidence of, respectively, specific reading disorder and specific spelling disorder – theoretical considerations and empirical results from a representative sample of young adults] . Zeitschrift für Kinder- und Jugendpsychiatrie und Psychotherapie, 30, 113–126. doi: 10.1024/1422-4917.30.2.1131999). Hamburg-Wechsler-Intelligenztest für Kinder III (HAWIK-III)
([Hamburg-Wechsler intelligence test for children – III (HAWIK-III)] . Göttingen, Germany: Hogrefe.2002). Age, gender, race, socioeconomic status, and birth cohort difference on the children’s depression inventory: A meta-analysis. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 111, 578–588. doi: 10.1037/0021-843X.111.4.578
(1996). Psychopathologische Risiken bei Kindern mit umschriebenen schulischen Teilleistungsstörungen
([Psychopathological risks in children with partial specific disorders of scholastic skills] . Kindheit Und Entwicklung, 5, 53–59.1992). Neuropsychological and socio-emotional correlates of specific-arithmetic disability. Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, 7, 1–16. doi: 10.1093/arclin/7.1.1
(2013). Comorbidity between reading disability and math disability: Concurrent psychopathology, functional impairment, and neuropsychological functioning. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 46, 500–516. doi: 10.1177/0022219413477476
(2009). Is a specific disorder of arithmetic skills as common as reading/spelling disorder? Zeitschrift für Kinder- und Jugendpsychiatrie und Psychotherapie, 37, 499–510. doi: 10.1024/1422-4917.37.6.499
(