Sine I have decided to focus my study on mental illness, I thought it would be interesting to read an article focused on learning disabilities and anxiety. The article I found is titled, “Learning Disabilities and Anxiety: A Meta-Analysis” that came from the journal “Journal of Learning Disabilities” on page 3-7. The contributing authors were Jason M. Nelson and Hannah Harwood.

Nelson, Jason M., and Hannah Harwood. “Learning Disabilities and Anxiety: A Meta-Analysis.” Journal of Learning Disabilities44, no. 1 (2010): 3-17. Doi:10.1177/0022219409359939.

This article is studying kids with learning disabilities compared to those who do not have learning disabilities to see if there is a difference in their anxiety levels. The researched 58 studies out of 533 and their results proved that students who had a learning disability had a higher level of anxiety. The articles research question is “Does having a learning disability effect ones anxiety level?” The type of data needed to conduct this study in order to answer the question is reports of acts, behaviors, and events. The type of data gathering method used by the researches was using private and public records. They researched several different databases throughout libraries from 1977 (because this was the first year learning disabilities became a special education classification) to 2007. The data method analysis used would be categorical data because they are being organized into specific groups.

I think this research was done well because they compared several different reports over a span of 30 years. They were also precisely specific with the forms of data they used. After a series of looking through hundreds of databases and articles they found 58 that met their criteria. For example, if they found a study that had used people from a previous study they would exclude it. Also if they found one that did not use a control group they excluded the study. They wanted to be sure what they were researching from past studies would be able to properly answer their research question. Something I found interesting was that they looked at students with learning disabilities and their anxiety levels to see their informant type. They wanted to know whether it was self-report, teacher, hospital, parent, ect. making the report. I found this interesting because I never thought how the answers could change because each person, including yourself sees you in a different setting. Your teacher does not see you in the same setting as your mom, but a doctor is not going to see you in the same setting as your teacher causing some answers and levels to vary.