Valutazione di aspetti psicologici in un gruppo di studenti universitari con dislessia

Dyslexia is a Learning Disability characterised by reading difficulties regarding both speed and accuracy. Affected individuals may present psychological and psychopathological problems, such as low self-esteem and anxious and depressive symptoms. This research was conducted in light of the scarce number of studies investigating psychological and psychopathological features in young adults suffering from dyslexia. Therefore, the main aim was to explore these characteristics in a sample of university students with dyslexia compared to a control group matched for gender, age, and education. Results showed that individuals with dyslexia reported more physical complaints, social problems, and attention problems than healthy participants; on the contrary, no differences between groups in regards to other psychopathological features, self-esteem, and resiliency were observed. Furthermore, negative correlations between reading accuracy and social problems and oppositive behaviours emerged in the clinical sample. Thus, some psychological problems seem to persist also in young adults suffering from dyslexia; nonetheless, a number of protective factors might have decreased the severity of the possible psychopathological consequences that may be found in individuals with dyslexia.