Maladaptive self-with-other schemata, identity resilience, and anxiety in Millennial and Gen Z lesbian, gay, and bisexual people

Studies show that Generation Z (or “Gen Z”) experience mental health inequalities compared to other generational groups, but there is limited research into Gen Z who also identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB). A cross-sectional survey study examined the effects of maladaptive self-with-other schemata upon anxiety, as well as the potential protective effects of identity resilience in a sample of 257 LGB Millennials and Gen Z. Participants indicated their age, sex, sexual orientation, relationship status, and annual income, and completed measures of insecure attachment style, partner rejection sensitivity, intolerance of uncertainty in relationships, identity resilience, and anxiety. Hierarchical multiple regression showed that being Gen Z and reporting higher uncertainty intolerance and lower identity resilience self-esteem and self-efficacy were associated with higher anxiety. When the maladaptive context-specific self-with-other schemata of rejection sensitivity and uncertainty intolerance were inserted in the models, the general schemata of anxious and avoidant attachment styles ceased to be significant predictors and, when the identity resilience variables were entered in the model, rejection sensitivity ceased to be a significant predictor of anxiety. Moderation analysis showed that generational group moderated the effects of the maladaptive self-with-other schemata and identity resilience self-esteem upon anxiety, with the effects being stronger in Gen Z. Rejection sensitivity and uncertainty intolerance may precipitate anxious symptoms but the self-esteem and self-efficacy components of identity resilience may have some protective effects, especially in Gen Z.