The Development of Anxiety Symptoms Following the High School Transition Among LGBTQ and Cisgender Heterosexual Adolescents and the Protective Role of Self-Esteem

Anxiety symptoms following the transition to high school are a challenge faced by many adolescents, yet few studies have examined its longitudinal development—especially among LGBTQ adolescents who face unique minority stressors. This study used multiple-group latent curve modeling to assess anxiety symptom trajectories in a sample of 367 high school students (Mage = 14.05 years; 22% [n = 79] LGBTQ, 78% [n = 288] cisgender heterosexual) over five waves during 9th and 10th grade. Results indicated that LGBTQ adolescents entered high school with significantly higher anxiety symptom levels than their cisgender heterosexual peers but experienced a significant linear decline in anxiety symptoms over time. In contrast, anxiety symptoms remained stable for cisgender heterosexual adolescents. Additionally, for both groups, initial levels of self-esteem predicted lower initial anxiety symptoms and steeper declines in anxiety symptoms; however, its association with later anxiety symptoms weakened for LGBTQ adolescents. These findings suggest that LGBTQ adolescents experience significantly higher levels of anxiety symptoms compared to their cisgender heterosexual peers as they transition through the first years of high school but that these increased levels of anxiety symptoms can be mitigated by the bolstering of a more robust self-esteem.