Associations between language skills and emotional and behavioural problems: A systematic review

Abstract

The association between emotional and behavioural problems and language skills is well documented. However, specific links between these developmental domains remain unclear. This review synthesises associations between components of language skills and emotional and behavioural problems in children aged 6–11 years. PRISMA guidelines were followed. After an extensive database search, studies were screened using Covidence according to predefined criteria. N = 21 studies were included. Systematic data extraction resulted in 97 statistical values. Ambiguous results with varying proportions and strengths of significant associations were found. The highest proportion of significant results was found for the association between symptoms of conduct disorders and language skills (88%), and the lowest for internalising problems (50%). Associations tended to be stronger for receptive than expressive skills. Results suggest the relevance of inattention in the interrelation with language skills. This review lays the groundwork for more detailed research on the interdependence of these domains. Implications for practice include monitoring language difficulties in children with symptoms of inattention. The comparability and validity of the results are limited by their heterogeneity.