Cross-sectional study series reveals distinct psychosocial burdens in youth versus adults with dyslexia, suggesting adult niche-finding buffers global self-worth and depression.
Key Points
To examine how developmental dyslexia relates to self-concept, psychiatric symptomatology, and psychosocial functioning across childhood, adolescence, and adulthood.
Assessed four distinct cohorts comprising one nonreferred sample of adult men and three pediatric/adolescent samples featuring clinic-referred, nonreferred, and sibling-controlled designs.
Measured depressive symptomatology, ADHD symptoms, self-concept, perceived competence, socioeconomic status, and adult life satisfaction markers.
Children and adolescents with dyslexia reported significantly lower global self-worth, lower perceived scholastic competence, and increased depressive and ADHD symptoms compared with normally achieving controls.
Adult dyslexic men exhibited lower perceived intelligence, greater generalized psychological distress, and reduced social mobility, yet maintained levels of global self-worth, depressive symptoms, and adult life satisfaction comparable to nondyslexic peers.