The Communication Divide: Exploring Emotional Disclosure and Anxiety in Gen-Z Adults

• In Event: 41021 - Student Forum Refereed Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (90 minute): Roundtable 4: Substance Use Disorder and Anxiety

Abstract

Communication skills are essential for building and maintaining healthy relationships, with emotional self-disclosure playing a key role in fostering closeness, trust, and psychological well-being. Research has extensively examined emotional disclosure in married couples, yet less is known about its role in emerging adulthood, a period characterized by social and emotional development, identity exploration, and relationship-building. Given the increasing prevalence of anxiety among young adults, it is crucial to explore factors that may contribute to or mitigate this trend. This study examines whether emotional self-disclosure skills are associated with anxiety levels in Generation Z.

Participants will be recruited via Prolific and must be 18–28 years old. The study will be conducted through an online Qualtrics survey, utilizing two well-validated psychological measures: the Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) scale to assess anxiety symptoms and the Emotional Self-Disclosure Scale (ESDS) to measure participants’ willingness to share emotions. A series of linear regression analyses will be conducted to determine whether emotional self-disclosure (independent variable) predicts anxiety levels (dependent variable). Additional analyses will examine how specific emotional disclosure patterns (e.g., happiness, depression, anger, fear) relate to anxiety. We hypothesize a negative correlation, such that lower self-disclosure scores will be associated with higher anxiety levels.

As a pilot study, these findings will provide preliminary evidence on the relationship between emotional self-disclosure and anxiety, forming the basis for a second phase testing an intervention designed to improve self-disclosure skills. If effective, such interventions could be integrated into clinical therapy, educational settings, and workplace communication programs to enhance emotional expression and reduce anxiety in emerging adults.

Author

• Daniel Saba, Catholic University of America