Anxiety sensitivity and suicide risk: Mindfulness as a psychological buffer for Black adults

Background: Anxiety sensitivity (AS), defined as the fear of anxiety-related sensations, is associated with increased risk for suicide and related behavior. However, investigations of AS have centered on primarily non-Hispanic White men and women and with limited attention to clinically relevant underlying factors. Methods: The purpose of this preliminary study was to examine the indirect effect of AS on suicide ideation and elevated suicide risk through mindfulness in a sample of 307 Black adults (79.2% female; M-age = 22.4, SD = 5.6). Participants completed an online questionnaire battery that included measures of AS, mindfulness, suicide ideation, and elevated suicide risk. Results: After controlling for age and gender, results indicated that AS was directly and indirectly associated with suicide ideation and elevated suicide risk via lower levels of mindfulness. Limitations: Limitations include using a cross-sectional methodological design and exclusive reliance on selfreport measures. Conclusions: These findings provide preliminary insight into novel risk and protective factors that influence suicide ideation and elevated suicide risk among Black Americans.