ABSTRACT
Background: Social anxiety impacts our self-worth and ability to deal with crises. Resilience may serve as a tool to mitigate social anxiety. The study examines the relationship between social anxiety, self-esteem, and resilience among young adult females. Further, it illustrates the role of sexual orientation, education, and employment status on the three variables. Methodology: A purposive sample of 270 participants (233 heterosexual females and 37 LGBTQIA+ females) was obtained using the snowball sampling method. Females were chosen as the prevalence rate of social anxiety is more pronounced among females than males. Statistical analysis was done using R Studio. Results: Findings suggest moderate negative correlations between social anxiety and self-esteem (r = - 0.462, p<0.05), social anxiety and resilience (r=-0.348, p<0.05), and a moderate positive correlation between resilience and self-esteem (r=0.464, p<0.05). LGBTQIA+ females scored high on social anxiety and low on resilience and self-esteem than heterosexual females. Employment status has a significant impact on the three variables however educational qualifications did not produce any difference. Thus, the hypotheses of the study were validated. Conclusion: The findings act as a catalyst in developing psychological interventions to improve the well- being of the youth. Future research can focus on the cultural aspects of social anxiety and its influence on self-esteem and resilience.