Depression and Anxiety in Two Groups of Adults with Learning Disabilities

Adults with learning disabilities seeking services from state rehabilitation agencies and/or university/college support programs present a challenge to professionals attempting to identify effective academic, vocational, and social/emotional interventions that lead to long-term employment. The purpose of this study was to add to the small body of empirical research pertaining to the presence of depression and anxiety in two groups of adults with learning disabilities based on self-report measures (i.e., Beck Depression Inventory ; Beck, Rush, Shaw, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory ; Spielberger, Gorsuch, Lushene, Vagg, IPAT Anxiety Scale ; Krug, Scheier, & Cattell, 1976a). A group of college students not demonstrating learning disabilities was used for descriptive and comparison purposes. Results showed that females with learning disabilities served in a rehabilitation setting were the only group that demonstrated significant signs of depression. College students with learning disabilities had increased anxiety-related symptoms. Implications for diagnosis and service are drawn from these findings.