Internalising symptoms in Developmental Coordination Disorder: The indirect effect of everyday executive function

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Psychology
• Clinical Psychology

Background:

• Individuals with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) often report significant executive function (EF) challenges and internalizing symptoms.
• Existing research highlights the importance of EF for overall well-being.
• The specific role of EF in internalizing symptoms within the DCD population remains under-explored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the potential indirect relationship between DCD and internalizing symptoms.
• To examine if everyday executive function (EF) difficulties mediate this relationship.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional survey design was employed.
• Participants included 32 children diagnosed with DCD and 51 typically-developing children, aged 8-15.
• Data collection involved parent-reported EF and self-reported internalizing symptoms.

Main Results:

• The DCD group exhibited significantly higher levels of both internalizing symptoms and everyday EF difficulties compared to controls.
• Mediation analysis revealed a significant indirect effect of everyday EF difficulties.
• This indirect effect was found on the pathway between a DCD diagnosis and the presence of internalizing symptoms.

Conclusions:

• Findings support previous research on increased internalizing symptoms and EF difficulties in DCD.
• This study is the first to demonstrate an indirect effect of EF difficulties in the DCD-internalizing symptom relationship.
• Results suggest future research into EF's role in DCD mental health and highlight the potential benefits of screening and intervention for EF and mental health in individuals with motor skill deficits.