Prevalence of dyslexia related to mental health problems and character strengths among primary school students in northwest China

This study aimed to examine the prevalence of dyslexia, mental health problems, and character strengths among primary school students in northwest China. Primary school students (N = 2,322) were assessed for dyslexia, strengths and difficulties, self-esteem, bullying, depression, anxiety, and character strengths. The Student's t-test and χ2 test were used to compare continuous and categorical variables between students with and without dyslexia. The estimated prevalence of dyslexia ranged from 4.9% to 6.9% and was highly prevalent among boys. Students with dyslexia reported statistically higher mean scores for emotional symptoms, conduct behaviours, internalizing and externalising problems, as well as total difficulties. Conversely, they exhibited lower levels of prosocial behaviour, expressed lower self-esteem, and reported higher instances of being bullied. Additionally, the prevalences of depression and anxiety symptoms were 36.5% and 26.3%, respectively, among dyslexic students. Signature strengths among students with dyslexia included appreciation of beauty and excellence, love, hope, forgiveness, and judgement. These findings underscore dyslexia's impact on mental health and academic performance in China. Implementing character strength-focused interventions could enhance well-being and academic outcomes among dyslexic primary school students.