Self-efficacy and psychological well-being in a sample of Italian university students with and without Specific Learning Disorder

Abstract

BackgroundDespite 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. AimsThe 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 procedure60 Italian undergraduate students with SLD and 283 students without SLD were included in this study. Outcomes and resultsResults 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 implicationsThe 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.