Research on Mental Health and Learning Disabilities in Children

This report presents a comprehensive analysis of mental health and learning disabilities in children, encompassing the introduction, literature review, research methodology, results, discussion, and conclusions. The study investigates the operational definitions of key terms, the background of the problem, and the research questions, including both broad and narrow inquiries. The literature review explores the basic understanding of mental health and learning disabilities, special needs among children, different mental health problems, strategies to improve conditions, and the role of mental health practitioners. The research methodology details data collection, sources, search terms, inclusion and exclusion criteria, data analysis, and ethical considerations. The results section summarizes findings related to each research objective. The discussion chapter analyzes the results, and the report concludes with recommendations. The research aims to identify the causes of learning disabilities and formulate effective clinical practices for children's development.

Health and Social Care

Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction to the Research.........................................................................................1
1.0 Introduction to the chapter................................................................................................1
1.1 Operational definition of terms........................................................................................1
1.2 Background to the problem..............................................................................................2
1.3 Statement of the problem..................................................................................................2
1.4 Research questions...........................................................................................................3
1.4.1 Broad question...............................................................................................................3
1.4.2 Narrow questions...........................................................................................................3
1.5 Justification of the research..............................................................................................3
1.6 Significance of the research..............................................................................................4
1.7 Summary of the chapter....................................................................................................4
Chapter 2: Literature Review..........................................................................................................4
2.0 Introduction to the chapter................................................................................................4
2.1 The basic understating about mental health and learning disabilities..............................5
2.2 The special needs among children occurs due to learning disabilities.............................6
2.3 The different mental health problems observed among children which affect their
development...........................................................................................................................7
2.4 The strategies to improve mental health conditional and learning disabilities of children9
2.5 The role of mental health practitioners for improving condition of children with learning
disabilities and psychological problems...............................................................................10
2.6 Theoretical framework...................................................................................................12
2.7 Conceptual framework...................................................................................................13
2.8 Gaps in the literature......................................................................................................14
2.9 Summary of the chapter..................................................................................................14
Chapter 3: Research Methodology................................................................................................15
3.0 Introduction to the chapter..............................................................................................15
3.1 Philosophical aspects of the research.............................................................................15
3.2 Data collection................................................................................................................15
3.3 Data sources....................................................................................................................15
3.4 Search terms...................................................................................................................15

3.5 Inclusion and exclusion criteria......................................................................................15
3.6 Data analysis...................................................................................................................16
3.7 Data summary table of journal articles...........................................................................16
3.8 Research ethics...............................................................................................................16
3.9 Limitations of the research.............................................................................................16
3.10 Summary of the chapter................................................................................................16
Chapter 4: Results.........................................................................................................................16
4.0 Introduction to the chapter..............................................................................................16
4.1 Summary table of results................................................................................................16
4.2 Results for the basic understating about mental health and learning disabilities...........17
4.3 Results for the special needs among children occurs due to learning disabilities..........17
4.4 Results for the different mental health problems observed among children which affect
their development.................................................................................................................17
4.5 Results for the strategies to improve mental health conditional and learning disabilities of
children.................................................................................................................................17
4.6 Results for the role of mental health practitioners for improving condition of children with
learning disabilities and psychological problems.................................................................17
4.7 Summary of the chapter..................................................................................................17
Chapter 5: Discussion...................................................................................................................17
5.1 Introduction to the chapter..............................................................................................17
5.2 Discussion of results for the basic understating about mental health and learning
disabilities.............................................................................................................................17
5.3 Discussion of results for the special needs among children occurs due to learning
disabilities.............................................................................................................................17
5.4 Discussion of results for the different mental health problems observed among children
which affect their development............................................................................................17
5.5 Discussion for results for the strategies to improve mental health conditional and learning
disabilities of children..........................................................................................................17
5.6 Discussion for results for the role of mental health practitioners for improving condition of
children with learning disabilities and psychological problems...........................................17
5.7 Summary of the chapter..................................................................................................17

6.0 Introduction to the chapter..............................................................................................17
6.1 Conclusions....................................................................................................................17
6.2 Recommendations..........................................................................................................17
6.3 Summary of the chapter..................................................................................................17
References......................................................................................................................................18

Chapter 1: Introduction to the Research
1.0 Introduction to the chapter
In context of first, it will focus on main concept of the research aim which is required to be
investigated for gathering relevant data for gaining appropriate findings. It includes the
background ad overview of selected research problem and main research aim & objective which
are going to be addressed on further study. This project is based on the research aim of analysing
the mental health and learning disabilities that are generally observed among children. It is
observed that mental health problems may occur among people due to several reasons among
them. Mental health condition can be described as a problematic or interrupted psychological
functioning condition which impact negatively on condition of an individual. It includes various
kinds of mental health problems such as depression, trauma, eating disorder, personality disorder
and many more (Biddle and et. al., 2019). Basically, the mental health issues are responsible for
developing different types of learning disabilities among children. It is necessary for parents and
elder ones to focus on growth and development of their child which is favourable to evaluate
presence of psychological problem earlier. Meanwhile, it is observed that children need extra
support while they are studying at their childhood because they are not aware of any abnormal
symptoms.
1.1 Operational definition of terms
Mental health – The mental health can be defined as a condition of an individual in which they
remain behavioural, emotional and cognitive wellbeing. It includes the condition in which a
person can make their own decision of daily life, overcome with life stresses and contribute for
welfare of their community. However, it can be consider as condition of being emotional,
psychological and social wellbeing.
Learning disabilities – This refers to a condition in which the ability of processing information
get interrupted due to specific cause. It includes several kinds of learning disability related to
reading, writing and language (McClean and Guerin, 2019). Meanwhile, it consist several
psychological cause behind occurrence of learning disabilities among individuals.
Mental health practitioners – The mental health practitioners can be defined as people having
degree of diploma of mental health profession with approval to provide respective care for
1

patients. It includes different kinds of mental health practitioners like psychologist, counsellors,
clinical social workers, psychiatrist, primary care physicians, family nurse practitioners etc.
Psychological problems – The range of health condition which are responsible for affecting
mood, thinking and behaviour. It includes number of conditions such as clinical depression,
anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder, personality disorder and many more.
1.2 Background to the problem
Mental health can be described as a condition in which a person is emotionally, behaviourally
and socially wellbeing. It includes the state when a person should remain confident to make
decisions and contribute towards community welfare as well. However, this project is based on
the mental health and learning disabilities occurred among children (Sala and Gobet, 2017). It is
observed that mental health problems become cause many time behind development of learning
disabilities among people. In respect of this investigation, it will focus on basic knowledge about
mental health learning disabilities along with relevant special needs among children. It will also
include the various mental health problems influencing development of children and strategies
for improving learning disabilities of them the role of mental health practitioners to enhance
condition of children suffering from learning disabilities as well as psychological problems are
given below.
1.3 Statement of the problem
The main research aim for this project is “to analyse the mental health and learning
disabilities that are generally observed among children”.
Research objectives
 To identify the basic understating about mental health and learning disabilities.
 To examine the special needs among children occurs due to learning disabilities.
 To evaluate the different mental health problems observed among children which affect
their development.
 To analyse the strategies to improve mental health conditional and learning disabilities of
children.
 To determine the role of mental health practitioners for improving condition of children
with learning disabilities and psychological problems.
2

1.4 Research questions
 How to identify the basic understating about mental health and learning disabilities?
 What are the special needs among children occurs due to learning disabilities?
 How to evaluate the different mental health problems observed among children which affect
their development?
 What are the ways to analyse the strategies to improve mental health conditional and
learning disabilities of children?
 How to determine the role of mental health practitioners for improving condition of children
with learning disabilities and psychological problems?
1.4.1 Broad question
What are the ways to analyse the strategies to improve mental health conditional and learning
disabilities of children?
How to determine the role of mental health practitioners for improving condition of children with
learning disabilities and psychological problems?
1.4.2 Narrow questions
How to identify the basic understating about mental health and learning disabilities?
What are the special needs among children occurs due to learning disabilities?
How to evaluate the different mental health problems observed among children which affect
their development?
1.5 Justification of the research
This project has justification to study about specific cause behind mental health problems and
relevant learning disabilities among children to gain desired information. It is necessary to
understand actual cause of psychological problems which are responsible to generate disabilities
between kids that impact negatively on their growth as well as development (Loomes, Hull and
Mandy, 2017). However, it is required to evaluate the reason behind learning disabilities to
establish effective clinical practices to facilitate proper development of them. It is essential to
study the impact of learning disabilities and strategies to improve condition of children with
special needs.
3

1.6 Significance of the research
This project has significant to study about special needs developed among children suffering
from psychological problems and their learning disabilities. It includes the criterion of
investigation actual cause behind learning disabilities between kids which will facilitate to
formulate effective clinical procedures for their betterment (Cecil and et. al., 2017). It is
necessary to carry out this research because it is significant to understand the way of affecting
development among children by such disabilities so that physicians can improve effectiveness of
care facilities. It will provide support facilitate proper development and growth between kids
with special needs of learning respectively.
1.7 Summary of the chapter
Considering the above chapter, it has been summarised that it is based on the aim of analysing
mental and learning disabilities among children. It includes the brief information about mental
health problems including several problems like stress, depression, anxiety etc. However, it
includes knowledge about several research objectives to gain appropriate information about
mental health and learning disabilities with special needs of children to facilitate proper
development between them. It consist the justification of this study to identify cause of learning
disabilities in order to formulate effective strategies which will provide support to avoid the
delayed or interrupted development between children.
Chapter 2: Literature Review
2.0 Introduction to the chapter
Literature review can be defined as an effective process to analyse the relevant information about
specific aim of the research project. It is known as an appropriate approach use of effective data
which accurate facts about particular research topic selected to be focussed in the project
(Marrast, Himmelstein and Woolhandler, 2016). It is necessary to consider recent published
research articles in order to collect accurate data which will provide support to gain appropriate
findings that can be used for future perspectives. However, the literature review can be defined
as a practice to review opinions of different authors on specific research problems to analyse the
facts. This investigation will focus on mental health problems and learning disabilities among
children.
4

2.1 The basic understating about mental health and learning disabilities
Mental health can be defined as a condition of being emotionally, mentally, socially and
behaviourally well. As per views given by Chen and et. al. (2019), it includes the healthy
condition of ability of an individual to remain with appropriate mood and thinking skills.
However, it is necessary for mental health practitioners to diagnose actual cause of psychological
disorder which facilitate to make appropriate decision of treatment. It is observed that there are
different kinds of mental health problems like stress, depression, anxiety, obsessive compulsive
disorder, eating disorder, personality disorder etc. These mental problems are responsible for
influencing the entire growth as well as development of children by developing special needs of
learning. Meanwhile, it is observed that effective strategies to improve their learning ability by
using effective care interventions for them. The learning disabilities are mainly related to skill of
writing, reading and language that affects the entire development of a kid. It is well known that a
child can develop faster by talking which facilitate create effective skills of learning. However,
the specific psychological problems are responsible for developing particular type of learning
disability among children that should be diagnose immediately for their wellness. It includes the
problematic conditions of some of children having learning disability due to presence of autism
spectrum disorder. It is important focus on children in respect of improving the their condition
for managing learning disabilities for further development of them. Moreover, the metal illnesses
are responsible to develop various kinds of learning disabilities that are required to be managed
earlier to facilitate proper development as well as growth of them.
Initially, it includes the dyslexia can be considered as most common type of learning disability
which is a language based disability creates the trouble to understand words sentences or
paragraph. According to the opinion provided by Thapar, Cooper and Rutter (2017), it is
observed that people with dyslexia are generally talented in arts, music, 3D visual prosecute,
athletics, mechanical capability. Secondly, dyscalculia is known as a kind of learning disability
which is a lifelong problem and responsible to effect ability to grasp and solve math problem. It
has been analysed that learning disabilities are different at various stages of age among people
which has differentiated signs & symptoms accordingly. Meanwhile, it includes several learning
disability symptoms at the preschool age of children such as issues to pronounce words, trouble
to find right word, difficulty in rhyming, trouble to learn alphabet, numbers, colours, shapes,
days or week etc. It also include the problem to follow appropriate directions or learning
5

routines, difficulty to control crayons, pencil and scissors or colouring within the lines along with
trouble with buttons, zippers, snaps, learning to tie shoes. However, it consist the signs at the age
of 5 to 9 years including problem to learn about connection between sounds & letters, unable to
blend sounds to make words, confuses basic words when reading and slow for learning new
skills. As mentioned by Giofrè and et. al. (2019), it also contains symptoms like consistently
misspells words & makes frequent errors, trouble to learn basic math concepts and difficulty in
telling time as well as remembering sequences. Moreover, it is observed that several symptoms
of learning disability can be determined at the age of 10 to 13 years such as difficulty with
reading comprehensive or math skills, trouble with open-ended test questions & word issues. It
will also include dislikes reading & writing, avoids reading aloud, poor handwriting, poor
organisational skills, trouble following classroom discussions & expressing thoughts spells the
same word differently in a single document.
2.2 The special needs among children occurs due to learning disabilities
The learning disabilities occurs among children due to several reasons like mental health
problems then it is required for alder people to provide special care to them. Samuel and et. al.
(2018) states that it is necessary for guardians and teachers to give special importance and
attention to such kids so that their development can be proceed in proper manner. Basically, it is
observed that there are different types of mental health problems that are responsible to develop
dissimilar symptoms as well as need of an individual. It is necessary for physicians and teachers
to provide special attention and try to determine specific need of a child to fulfil the same for
making them learn desired concepts easily. It is required for parents and guardians to give extra
care and attention to their children which is important for improving their condition of an
individual. Meanwhile, it involves the condition of autism when a kid requires extra support and
have special needs which facilitate to enhance their ability to gain proper development. It is
observed that children should remain happy and excited regarding different things so that it is
very important to fulfil every specific need of a child to gain better growth of them. It is
significant to organise effective training for teachers along with appointing specialised tutors for
kids to educate them effectively. However, it is observed that there are number of special needs
which should be focussed such as academic support & minor classroom accommodations, skills
based remediation, need direct & intense skills remediation and need small classes. It will
6

provide help to understand actual situation of children to make them learn about specific
concepts easily and effectively.
In addition to this, it has been identified that children may have special needs related to non-
verbal learning disability and struggle with organisational difficulties, poor social skills, visual-
spatial, weaknesses, and conceptual reasoning deficits and so on. According to the knowledge of
Asherson and et. al. (2016), it includes the several emotional problems of kids due to which they
are not able to learn properly and tutors should make them emotionally stable and strong by
providing special learning aids and interesting study material. It is necessary for teachers to use
interesting objects or products through which kids with special needs can learn academic
concepts or theories in effective manner. However, it has been evaluated that many of children
face difficulties to communicate theory needs due to which they remain uncomfortable and they
cannot learn things effectively. It involves the special need of children with learning disability is
to focus on their interest level according to which specific interesting products should be
improved for making learning easy for them. Meanwhile, it is observed that tutors are required to
make effective communication with students in order to establish mutual understanding with
them which facilitate to understand their special needs to fulfil their learning requirement. It is
required to improve the condition of children with learning disabilities to fulfil their specific
need like improper pronunciation, hesitation to participate and identify the words or colours.
Moreover, it is very important to secure these children from any kind of abuse, harm and neglect
which is a huge responsibility of their parents as well as teachers.
2.3 The different mental health problems observed among children which affect their
development
As per views given by Pinquart (2017), mental health problems can be described as an abnormal
condition when an individual has affected mood, thinking and behaviour. It includes the
condition of people to remain emotionally and psychologically abnormal then they are not able
to think and feel properly. However, there are various kinds of mental disorders with may occur
among children such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum
disorder (ASD), eating disorders, depression & other mood disorders, post-traumatic stress
disorder (PTSD), schizophrenia and anxiety disorders. These psychological problems occur and
impact potentially on growth as well as development of children. It has number of symptoms
which should be recognised earlier including persistent sadness which remain for at least 2 to
7

more weeks continuously and withdrawing nature from or avoiding social interactions. Verdugo
and et. al. (2019) states that it includes the act of hurting oneself or talking about hurting oneself,
outbursts or extreme irritability, out of control behaviour which can be harmful, drastic changes
in mood, behaviour or stomach aches, changes in eating habits, loss of weight, frequent
headaches or stomach aches, difficulty concentrating, changes in academic performance and
avoiding or missing school. Meanwhile, it has been analysed that various kinds of mental health
problems are responsible for affecting the development and growth of children. It is necessary to
gain information about various kinds of mental disorders which can effect development of a
child then immediately concern with a specialist for their treatment. It is necessary to make an
individual wellbeing along with gaining knowledge about appropriate way to deal with a child
having special needs due to presence of particular psychological issue. Thus, some of these
mental health problems are explained here.
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) refers to a condition in which kids have
difficulty in paying attention, impulsive behaviours, hyperactivity or some combination of these
issues. As mentioned by Moll and et. al. (2016), autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can be
described as a kind of neurological condition which is general developed at the age of early
childhood i.e. usually before 3 years of age. It includes the severity of ASD varies, a child with
this disorder mainly have problem in communicating anything and make proper interaction with
other people. Eating disorders can be explained as preoccupation with an ideal body type,
disorder thinking, unsafe eating & dieting habits and weight loss. It consist some of common
problems including anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder. It is observed
about this condition to be results into an emotional & social dysfunctioning along with
development of complications which may be life threatening for an individual. Depression &
other mood disorders can be defined as a condition with persistent feelings of sadness and loss of
interests which are responsible for disrupting an ability of a child to function as well as interact
with other people. It has ability to results into bipolar disorder generally and develop extreme
mood swings between depression and extreme emotional or behavioural high which may be
unguarded, unsafe or risky accordingly. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can be considered
as a complicated psychological condition which is quite difficult to be treated and this affect
ability of child to have proper development as well as growth. It is known as a kind of prolonged
8