Emotion Regulation and Perceived Competence in Dyslexia and ADHD: Analyzing Predictors of Academic and Mental Health Outcomes in Adolescents

Youths with dyslexia and ADHD are at risk for developing not only academic but also mental health problems. As these negative outcomes are however not found equally among all adolescents with dyslexia or ADHD, this dissertation aimed at getting a better understanding of certain predictors and/or consequences of two mediating self-regulating mechanisms. Whereas study 1 focused on perceived competence as an important contributor to academic success or failure, studies 2, 3 and 4 analyzed the role of emotion regulation (ER) in the development of psychopathological symptoms. Study 1 showed that within a group of adolescents with dyslexia, adolescents with a late diagnosis hold lower general and academic perceived competency beliefs, with potential negative outcomes for academia. Study 2 gave a first insight into ER in dyslexia and revealed that while dyslexia might not be directly associated with ER difficulties, higher ADHD symptoms contribute to more ER difficulties not only in youths with clinical ADHD but also in youths with dyslexia. These findings were taken a step further in study 3, which showed that ER difficulties mediate the association between ADHD symptoms and further anxiety, depression and conduct disorder symptoms for youths with dyslexia, ADHD and comorbid dyslexia/ADHD. Moreover, it was demonstrated in study 4 that underlying working memory deficits, (and to a lesser extent) attentional control and inhibitory deficits are linked with ADHD symptoms, which in turn are associated with ER difficulties and further anxiety and depression symptoms.
The findings are discussed within the larger context of perceived competence, ER as well as academic and psycho-social outcomes, and potential implications for the conceptualization, diagnosis, prevention and treatment of these disorders are considered.