Impact of DLD on mental health and wellbeing across the lifespan
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Wilmot, A., Boyes, M., Sievers, R., Leitão, S., & Norbury, C. (2024). Impact of developmental language disorders on mental health and well-being across the lifespan: a qualitative study including the perspectives of UK adults with DLD and Australian speech-language therapists. BMJ open, 14(10), e087532.
Key terms that are in this paper
Mental health: emotional, psychological and social wellbeing.
Masking: hiding behaviours associated with neurodiversity to fit in with peers.
Discrimination: being treated differently because of a difference, for example in race, gender or disability.
Aim of the paper
This paper aimed to look at the experiences of people with DLD throughout their life.
It looked at factors which might affect the mental health of people with DLD.
The researchers led focus group with six adults with DLD from England and five speech and language therapists from Western Australia.
The researchers derived themes from the group discussions to understand the participants’ perspectives.
What was found
Theme 1: ‘Perspectives on diagnosis and living with an invisible disability’: Participants discussed the lack of awareness of DLD. For example, some found it difficult to get a DLD diagnosis. Getting a DLD diagnosis helped some participants, making it easier to advocate for yourself (share your needs).
Theme 2: ‘School struggles and self-esteem from past to present’: Adults with DLD may suffer from mental health conditions like anxiety and depression, and experienced difficulties both at school and at work.
Theme 3: ‘DLD across the lifespan’: Participants shared the continuing difficulties and efforts required to mask their differences in everyday life and at work, which affected mental health.
Theme 4: ‘A sense of belonging: communication, connection and support’: Adults with DLD may also suffer from loneliness because of difficulty with social situations. They also reported bullying and discrimination.
What does this mean?
People with DLD face both language difficulties and experience mental health concerns because of their disorder.
Access to diagnosis is important for people with DLD, to ensure appropriate accommodation at school and at work.
More public awareness of DLD as a lifelong condition may also help people feel more supported.
Future research should aim to better understand how to support people with DLD across their lives.
Where can I read this paper?
You can read this whole paper for free by following this link: https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/14/10/e087532.abstract
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