Abstract
Prior studies have suggested that grit and resilience predict both academic and career success. However, these qualities have not been examined in children with reading disorder (RD). We therefore investigated whether grit and resilience were associated with anxiety, depression, academic performance, and quality of life (QOL) in these students. This 3-year longitudinal cohort study included 163 participants with RD from 3 schools. Evaluations were completed by parents and/or teachers every 3 months. The Grit and Resilience Scale was adapted from the 10-item Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale and the 12-item Grit Scale. Outcome measures included anxiety (School Anxiety Scale – Teacher Report and the 8-item Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale), depression (Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire), academic performance, and QOL (Pediatric QOL Inventory 4.0). Multivariate linear regression models (adjusting for age and sex) assessed the associations at baseline. Repeated measures analysis using mixed-effects models assessed the relationship longitudinally. There were statistically significant associations between grit and resilience and all outcomes at baseline and over time. After adjusting for age and sex, improved grit and resilience was associated with decreased anxiety (β = − 0.4, p < 0.001) and improved academic performance (β = 0.5, p < 0.001) when grit and resilience was measured by teachers, as well as decreased depression (β = − 0.3, p < 0.001) and improved QOL (β = 0.6, p < 0.001) when grit and resilience was measured by parents. Grit and resilience are significantly related to mental health, academic performance, and QOL in children with RD. This suggests that interventions to improve grit and resilience may lead to positive benefits.
Highlights
The term “grit” was defined as “perseverance and passion for long term goals” in a widely quoted 2007 study by Duckworth et al (2007)
It should be noted that almost all the previous studies were cross-sectional in nature, all except one study (Worku et al, 2019) considered grit or resilience to be the predictor variable in their analyses, whereas other variables including anxiety, depression, quality of life, or academic performance were defined as the outcomes
In this 3-year longitudinal cohort study, we used a combined measure of grit and resilience and assessed its relationship with anxiety, depression, academic performance, and quality of life in children with reading disorder (RD), with the primary goal of determining if grit and resilience was associated with these other outcomes
Summary
The term “grit” was defined as “perseverance and passion for long term goals” in a widely quoted 2007 study by Duckworth et al (2007) This landmark paper built upon comments and research dating back to the late 1800s suggested that ability alone did not predict success, but that “zeal and a capacity for hard labor” were essential components. It should be noted that almost all the previous studies were cross-sectional in nature (including those reported in the meta-analysis and systematic review for academic outcomes), all except one study (Worku et al, 2019) considered grit or resilience to be the predictor variable in their analyses, whereas other variables including anxiety, depression, quality of life, or academic performance were defined as the outcomes. Considering that there are so few longitudinal studies examining grit and/or resilience, this is an area that warrants further research
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