Influential factors of anxiety and behavioral problems among children with learning difficulties

Objective To explore current status of anxiety and behavioral problems and its main influential factors among children with learning difficulties and to provide reference for the improvement of anxiety in learning difficulty children.Methods Totally 6 000 students from 10 primary schools in Jiangsu coastal area were sampled and screened with Learning Ability Instrument,Child Anxiety Checklist and Child Behavior Measurement Scale.Results The average score of anxiety for the children with learning difficulties was 1.83±0.22;among the four dimensions of the axiety,the social phobia was the highest(2.37±0.44).The average score of behavioral problems was 1.63±0.32,among which learning problem was the highest(1.89±0.57).There were significant differences in the degree of anxiety for the learning difficulty children with various behavioral problems and demographic variables.Parenting style and family atmosphere negatively affected children's behavioral problems(β=-0.12,β=-0.12;P<0.05).The anxiety of learning difficulty children directly affected their behavioral problems(β=0.40,P<0.01).The anxiety of learning difficulty children was mediately affected by father's educational level,parenting styles,family atmosphere,parental expectations,and their behavioral problems.Conclusion Anxiety and behavioral problems among the children with learning difficulties should not be ignored.Influences of parents and family are the important factors when these children receiving intervention.