ITHACA, N.Y. — For teens entering high school, inclusive environments benefit not only students identifying as LGBTQ but also their majority‑group peers, new Cornell University‑led psychology research finds. And for LGBTQ students, who start ninth grade more anxious on average, a strong sense of self can significantly ease those feelings over time.
Those findings, from two studies published in the Journal of Adolescence and the Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology that followed more than 400 students through ninth and 10th grade, highlight the value of cultivating self‑esteem and openness during a critical developmental period.
In the first study, the researchers surveyed 367 cisgender heterosexual and LGBTQ teens (average age 14) five times over the first 18 months of high school. LGBTQ participants reported significantly higher anxiety at the start, consistent with theory that predicts greater mental health challenges for minority students concerned about their identities being accepted or rejected.
But unexpectedly, LGBTQ students who started high school with high self-esteem showed the biggest decrease in anxiety during the study period. In contrast, anxiety remained relatively stable among non-LGBTQ students.
“Symptoms of anxiety are universally experienced, but having strong self‑esteem is very protective, particularly for LGBTQ youth," said Robert Klein , doctoral candidate in psychology and first author of both studies.
The second study, including 287 cisgender heterosexual teens drawn from the same sample spanning 38 schools in Michigan, is the first to apply a theory developed in the study of race and ethnicity, called “other group orientation,” to gender identity and sexual orientation. Understanding majority group attitudes toward LGBTQ adolescents is increasingly important, the researchers said, given the growing numbers of teenagers who openly identify as LGBTQ.
To measure the high schoolers’ openness and willingness to interact with LGBTQ peers, the students answered questions over the study period such as, “I like meeting and getting to know LGBTQ people,” and “I often spend time with LGBTQ people.” The results showed a slight increase in openness over time — perhaps resulting from greater exposure to LGBTQ peers and issues, the researchers said. That in turn was associated with the majority-group students feeling more connected to society and that the world is getting better.
“There seems to be this exposure effect that as people are around these identities more, they become more positively oriented toward them,” Klein said.
The researchers said the findings support school-based efforts to promote self-esteem and affirming environments, particularly for LGBTQ youth reporting elevated anxiety when entering high school.
For additional information, read this Cornell Chronicle story .
The Development of LGBTQ Other Group Orientation and Its Relation to Psychological and Social Well-Being Among Cisgender Heterosexual Adolescents
18-Mar-2026