The Critical Role of Mental Health Services for Individuals with LD

People with disabilities experience mental distress almost five times more often than those without disabilities*. Individuals with learning disabilities are no exception and may experience mental health difficulties at higher rates than their non-disabled peers. When young adults experience appropriate support and services to foster positive mental health, they perform better academically and socially*, and have an increased sense of well-being. 

Take a look inside the State of LD

Mental health supports and services are critical to well-being and contribute to a higher quality of life, especially for individuals with LD. While some young adults reported feeling satisfied with their mental health, many reported needing additional support in taking care of their mental health. Additionally, approximately one in two individuals with an LD reported that their learning disability had a negative impact on their mental health.

• 14% reported having a mental health diagnosis in addition to their learning disability diagnosis
• 27% reported that they disagreed or were unsure whether or not their high school had adequate mental health services for students
• Only 62% reported feeling confident in their ability to take care of their mental health

Key Takeaways

Given the relationship between learning disabilities and mental health, prevention, identification, and timely supportive care are vital to ensure an overall sense of well-being. 

Here’s what you can do to support individuals with LD

Self-Advocates

• Practice good mental health hygiene*: Ensuring you are getting appropriate sleep, spending time outdoors, eating a good diet, building routines, and practicing gratitude and self-compassion can help build resilience to life stressors, which may contribute to or worsen mental health disorders and symptoms.
• Don’t be afraid to ask for help: If you are experiencing any mental health difficulties, distress, or symptoms that impact your daily living and quality of life, don’t be afraid to seek mental health support. Know that you are not alone in your experiences- many individuals, including those with LDs, receive and benefit from mental health support.

Families

• Educate yourself and your children: Learning about mental health and the signs and symptoms of potential mental health disorders can help you identify when your children need more support. Talk to your child about potential symptoms they may someday experience, and encourage them to ask for help if they ever need it. Normalizing mental health support is a lifelong gift you can provide your child!

Communities and Practitioners

• Equip educators to integrate Social Emotional Learning (SEL) into their classrooms: SEL has been shown to decrease emotional distress*, increase coping skills, and decrease symptoms of depression and anxiety*.

State & Federal Policymakers

• Prioritize funding for universal behavioral and mental health screenings in schools: Screening all students for social, mental health, or behavioral concerns before they become significant concerns is beneficial to long-term outcomes. Additionally, funding and intentionality around how to collect and store this data should be handled with great care.
• Prioritize funding for School-Based Mental Health Services: Students spend a majority of their time in the school system, thus making schools a prime environment to not only deliver mental health services, but to remove obstacles to services some students would otherwise be unable to access. Funding for both universal and targeted approaches of SBMHS’ are encouraged.

Stay informed and learn more about NCLD’s research findings here.

Citations 

Cree RA, Okoro CA, Zack MM, Carbone E. Frequent Mental Distress Among Adults, by Disability Status, Disability Type, and Selected Characteristics — United States, 2018. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2020;69:1238–1243. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6936a2

 CASEL. (n.d.). What Does the Research Say? Hundreds of Independent Studies Confirm: SEL Benefits Students. https://casel.org/fundamentals-of-sel/what-does-the-research-say/#:~:text=SEL%20leads%20to%20improved%20academic,students%20who%20didn’t%20participate.

NAMI. (n.d.). Mental Health in Schools. https://www.nami.org/advocacy/policy-priorities/improving-health/mental-health-in-schools/

National Institute for Mental Health. (2024, December). Caring for Your Mental Health. National Institute for Mental Health. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/caring-for-your-mental-health

Durlak, J. A., Mahoney, J. L., & Boyle, A. E. (2022). What We Know, and What We Need to Find Out About Universal, School-Based Social and Emotional Learning Programs for Children and Adolescents: A Review of Meta-Analyses and Directions for Future Research. Psychological Bulletin, 148(11–12), 765–782. https://doi.org/10.1037/bul0000383

Clarke, A., Sorgenfrei, M., Mulcahy, J., Davie, P., Friedrich, C. & McBride, T. (2021). Adolescent mental health: A systematic review on the effectiveness of school-based interventions. Early Intervention Foundation.