Learning Disabilities among Greek Adolescents: Differences between First and Follow-up Attendance

Lazaratou Helen¹, Sakellariou Katerina¹, Magklara Konstantina^1, , Kalogerakis Zacharias² and Economou Marina²

¹Child and Adolescent Unit, Community Mental Health Centre Byron - Kesariani, 1st Psychiatric Department, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens

²Community Mental Health Centre Byron - Kesariani, 1st Psychiatric Department, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens

Cite this paper:
Lazaratou Helen, Sakellariou Katerina, Magklara Konstantina, Kalogerakis Zacharias and Economou Marina. Learning Disabilities among Greek Adolescents: Differences between First and Follow-up Attendance. American Journal of Educational Research. 2017; 5(3):262-266. doi: 10.12691/education-5-3-5

Abstract

Learning disorders start early and very often affect people throughout their lives. A number of previous studies in Greece showed that adolescents are more frequently presented with learning difficulties than younger children. At the same time, learning disorders are very often co-morbid with other mental health disorders and conditions. The aim of our study was to investigate the hypothesis that the age of referral may be indicative of the clinical significance of learning difficulties and to assess the co-morbidity of learning disorders with other mental health problems. We conducted a retrospective study of the medical records of all children and adolescents, who have been referred due to learning difficulties to an outpatient child and adolescent psychiatric service n Greece, over a period of two years. Among 390 adolescents, who have been referred to the unit, 330 adolescents (84.61%) have been referred due to learning difficulties. There were statistically significant differences between first-attenders (N₁=174) and those with a history of previous attendance (N₂=156). Learning disorders were very often co-morbid with a number of mental health conditions, especially with emotional and behavior disorders. In our study the age of first referral due to learning disorders appeared to be a significant factor in relation to clinical significance. The high co-morbidity of learning difficulties with other psychiatric conditions shows that therapeutic programs should also include various forms of psychotherapeutic support.

Keywords:
adolescence co-morbidity first attendance follow-up attendance learning disorders psychiatric disorders

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

References:

[1]	Fletcher, J.M., Francis, D.J., Morris, R.D. and Lyon, G.R. “Evidence-based assessment of learning disabilities in children and adolescents.” Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 34(3): 506-522, 2005.
[2]	Lyons GL, Huber HB, Carter EW, Chen R, Asmus JM. “Assessing the social skills and problem behaviors of adolescents with severe disabilities enrolled in general education classes.” Am J Intellect Dev Disabil, 121(4): 327-45, 2016.
[3]	Lyon, G. R., Fletcher, J. M., & Barnes, M. C. Learning disabilities. In E. J. Mash & R. A. Barkley (Eds.), Child psychopathology, 2nd ed., New York: Guilford, 2003, 520-586.
[4]	Vlachos, F., et al. “Prevalence and gender ratio of dyslexia in Greek adolescents and its association with parental history and brain injury.” American journal of educational research, 1.1: 22-25, 2013.
[5]	Anastasiou D. & Polychronopoulou S. “Identification and overidentification of specific learning disabilities (dyslexia) in Greece.” Learning Disability Quarterly 32.2: 55-69, 2009.
[6]	Lazaratou H., Anagnostopoulos D., Magganari E., Zelios G., Xristodoulou A., Sini A. “The contribution of biological and social factors in the emergence of learning disorders.” Encephalos, 2005. (In Greek)
[7]	Carroll J, Maughan B, Goodman R, Meitzer H. “Literacy difficulties and psychiatric disorders: evidence for comorbidity.” J Child Psychol Psychiatry, 46: 524-532, 2005
[8]	Maag JW, Reid R. “Depression among students with learning disabilities: assessing the risk.” J Learn Disabil, 39: 3-10, 2006.
[9]	Maughan B, Carroll JM. “Literacy and mental disorders.” Current Opinion Psychiat, 19: 350-55, 2006.
[10]	Jaycox LH, Stein BD, Paddock S, Miles JN, Chandra A, Meredith LS, Tanielian T, Hickey S, Burnam MA. “Impact of teen depression on academic, social, and physical functioning.” Pediatrics, 124(4): 596-605, 2009.
[11]	Zakopoulou et al. “The comorbidity of learning difficulties with socioemotional disorders in school-aged children”. Interdisciplinary Health Care, 5(4): 190-198, 2013. (In Greek)
[12]	World Health Organization. The ICD-10 classification of mental and behavioural disorders: clinical descriptions and diagnostic guidelines. Geneva, World Health Organization, 1992.
[13]	Kassotakis M. Et al. The entrance in the Greek tertiary education: history – problems – perspectives. Grigoris Eds.Κασσωτάκης M, 2009; 375. [In Greek]
[14]	Anderson V, Anderson P, Northam E, Jacobs R, Catroppa C. “Development of executive functions through late childhood and adolescence in an Australian sample.” Developmental Neuropsychology, 20: 385-406, 2001.
[15]	Hooper CJ, Luciana M, Conklin HM, Yarger RS. “Adolescents’ performance on the development of decision making and ventromedial prefrontal cortex.” Developmental Psychology, 40: 1148-58, 2004.
[16]	Luna B, Garver KE, Urban TA, Lazar NA, Sweeney JA. “Maturation of cognitive processes from late childhood to adulthood.” Child Development, 75: 1357-72, 2004.
[17]	McGivern RF, Andersen J, Byrd D, Mutter KL, Reilly J. “Cognitive efficiency on a match to sample task decreases at the onset of puberty in children.” Brain & Cognition, 50: 73-89, 2002.
[18]	Luciana M, Conklin HM, Cooper CJ, Yarger RS. “The development of nonverbal working memory and executive control processes in adolescents.” Child Development, 76: 697-712, 2005.
[19]	Bäcker A, Neuhäuser G. “Internalizing and externalizing syndrome in reading and writing disorders.” Prax Kinderpsychol Kinderpsychiatr, 52(5): 329-37, 2003. (In German)
[20]	Banaschewski T, Hollis C, Oostelaan J, et al. « Towards an understanding of unique and shared pathways in the psychopathophysiology of ADHD.” Dev Sci, 8:132-140, 2005.
[21]	Gayan J, Willcut EG, Fisher SE, et al. “Bivariate linkage scan for reading disability and ADHD localizes pleiotropic loci.” J Child Psychol Psychiatry, 46: 1045-1056, 2005.
[22]	Loo SK, Fisher SE, Franjs C, et al. «Bivariate linkage scan for reading disability in affected sibling pairs with ADHD: unique and shared genetic effects.” Mol Psychiatry, 9: 485-493, 2004.
[23]	Mugnaini, D., Lassi, S., La Malfa, G. et al. “Internalizing correlates of dyslexia.” World J Pediatr, 5:255, 2009.
[24]	Sideridis, G. D. “Why are students with learning disabilities depressed? A goal orientation model of depression vulnerability.” Journal of Learning Disabilities. 40: 526-539, 2007.
[25]	Arnold EM, Goldston DB, Walsh AK, et al. “Severity of emotional and behavioral problems among poor and typical readers.” J Abnorm Child Psychol, 33: 205-217, 2005.
[26]	Cannon M, Caspi A, Moffitt TE, et al. “Evidence for early-childhood, pan-developmental impairment specific to schizophreniform disorder: results from a longitudinal birth cohort.” Arch Gen Psychiatry, 59: 449-456, 2002.
[27]	Sørensen HJ, Mortensen EL, Schiffman J, Ekstrøm M, Denenney D, Mednick SA. “Premorbid IQ and adult schizophrenia spectrum disorder: verbal performance subtests.” Psychiatry Res, 178: 23-26, 2010.
[28]	Morgan VA, Leonard H, Bourke J, Jablensky A. “Intellectual disability co-occurring with schizophrenia and other psychiatric illness: population-based study.” Br J Psychiatry, 193: 364-372, 2008.