Anxiety and Self-Esteem: A Qualitative Study with Female Mexican American Adolescents and Mental Health Therapists

This study explored the interplay between self-reported symptoms of anxiety and selfesteem from the perspectives of female Mexican American adolescents and mental health therapists living in Arizona. Sixteen adolescents completed a semi-structured interview and 17 mental health therapists participated in focus groups via Zoom from June 2021 through May 2022. Six main themes to describe the interplay between anxiety and self-esteem emerged: interplay between anxiety and self-esteem; influence of external factors, such as home, school, and peer relationships; strategies and resources to address mental health; perceptions of how one is viewed by others; social pressures and stress; navigating multiple cultural backgrounds and trends. This study concludes that while adolescents and mental health therapists collectively agree on the interplay of anxiety and self-esteem, there is a disconnect between the perspectives which is attributable to the various roles and expectations female Mexican American adolescents experience.