Year: 2019 Source: Archives of Suicide Research. (2019). 23(3), 428-439. doi.org/10.1080/13811118.2018.1480984 SIEC No: 20190589

The objective of this study was to test whether 3 cognitive-affective correlates,–mindfulness, emotion reactivity, and depressive symptom severity—have different associations with current suicidal ideation (SI), a history of suicide attempt (SA) and SA + SI among emerging adults. Whether impulsive-aggression (IA) moderated associations between cognitive-affective correlates of suicidal behavior and suicidality was also tested. Survey data on current SI, SA history, mindfulness, emotion reactivity, depressive symptom severity, and IA were collected from 780 emerging adults. Results from multinomial logistic regression analysis showed greater depressive symptom severity among emerging adults with current SI, regardless of SA history. Those with a history of SA reported greater depressive symptom severity and less mindfulness than controls. IA did not moderate relationships of SI and/or SA and mindfulness, emotion reactivity, or depressive symptom severity. Mindfulness is a marker of SA, and depressive symptom severity is associated with current SI and SA history in emerging adults. IA does not moderate these associations. To the extent that a history of SA is indicative of elevated trait-like suicide risk and SI indicates state suicidality, our findings suggest that mindfulness protects against longer-term vulnerability to suicide while depressive symptom severity is associated with suicide state-trait risk.