Self-efficacy and psychological well-being in a sample of Italian university students with and without Specific Learning Disorder.
University students with SLD feel just as academically capable as peers, and their mental health hinges on self-esteem and friends, not grades.
01Research in Context
What this study did
de Freitas Feldberg et al. (2021) asked Italian university students with and without Specific Learning Disorder to fill out surveys. They compared academic self-efficacy and looked at what predicted psychological well-being in each group.
The survey design let them see real-life feelings, not lab scores. No teaching or coaching was given.
What they found
Students with SLD rated their academic self-efficacy just as high as peers without SLD. The gap many teachers expect did not show up.
For the SLD group, self-esteem and social support—not grades—predicted psychological well-being. Academic skill alone did not protect mental health.
How this fits with other research
McIntyre et al. (2017) saw the same null pattern in adolescents with intellectual disability. Self-esteem grew in parallel lines for both ID and typical groups, backing the idea that diagnosis itself does not lower self-worth.
Nadig et al. (2018) extend the story by showing action matters. Their 10-week group program raised self-determination and quality of life for autistic university students. Cristina’s paper tells us what predicts well-being; Aparna shows we can move the needle with brief supports.
Schertz et al. (2016) seem to disagree at first glance. They found adults with dyslexia scored lower on executive-function tests. The contrast is methodological: H measured cold cognitive skills; Cristina measured warm beliefs about the self. Weak planning does not have to mean weak confidence.
Why it matters
Stop assuming students with SLD feel less capable. Build their self-esteem and social network instead of drilling more flashcards. Schedule peer mentoring, study groups, or praise sessions. These moves target the real drivers of well-being and take ten minutes a week.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: Despite an internationally recognized significant increase of students with a diagnosed Specific Learning Disorder (SLD) entering higher education, psychological features of university students with SLD still remain to be explored. AIMS: The study aims to investigate the perceived academic self-efficacy and to identify predictors of psychological well-being in a sample of university students with SLD, compared to a control group of students without SLD. METHODS AND PROCEDURE: 60 Italian undergraduate students with SLD and 283 students without SLD were included in this study. OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: Results indicated that university students with SLD, compared to students without SLD but with comparable academic achievement, did not report significantly lower levels of academic self-efficacy. Furthermore, a multiple regression analysis indicated that self-esteem and perceived social support by significant others did significantly predict the value of psychological well-being in students with SLD. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: The findings suggest that undergraduate students with SLD may represent a particular category of young adults who have beaten the odds, who have persisted in effort even if they struggled and then who have succeeded.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2021 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2021.103858