Systematic Review of Anxiety Interventions for Students With Learning Difficulties: Current Evidence and Research Gaps

Anxiety impacts the emotional health and academic performance of students. Despite research showing that students with learning difficulties experience more anxiety than typically achieving peers, no systematic reviews have examined the effects of anxiety interventions for this population. This article presents a systematic review of anxiety intervention studies on students with learning difficulties (kindergarten to Grade 12), examining anxiety outcomes as the primary focus and academic outcomes as exploratory. The systematic search yielded eight qualified studies, revealing mixed effects on similar constructs. Anxiety outcomes were measured in all studies, and half reported significant reductions in anxiety symptoms after the intervention. Academic outcomes were measured in only three studies, with just one demonstrating a significant improvement in performance. The variability of findings and the limited number of studies make it challenging to draw robust conclusions. Future research should prioritize investigating the effectiveness of anxiety interventions for students with learning difficulties.