Impact of online and offline racism on cigarette smoking, marijuana use, and vaping via depressive/anxiety symptoms among racially minoritized emerging adults.

Studies have found that offline and online racism are linked to mental health issues including depressive and anxiety symptoms among racially minoritized emerging adults. To cope with these symptoms, racially minoritized emerging adults may resort to substance use. Thus, we examined the relationship between offline and online racism and recent smoking behaviors (past 30 days), and whether depressive and anxiety symptoms (DAS) mediate this relationship. We hypothesized that offline and online racism would be associated with a greater probability of recent smoking through depressive/anxiety symptoms. With data from 338 participants (Mage = 23.28, SD = 2.38), we conducted a path analysis of offline racism (Everyday Discrimination Scale) and online racism (Perceived Online Racism Scale) predicting recent smoking (recent cigarette smoking, recent marijuana use, recent vaping) via depressive (Patient Health Questionnaire-9)/anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7) symptoms. Offline racism was directly associated with recent cigarette smoking while online racism was directly associated with recent vaping. No significant indirect associations were observed with cigarette smoking and vaping. Both online and offline racism were indirectly associated with recent marijuana use via depressive/anxiety symptoms. Our findings suggest that there are nuanced differences between the impact that online and offline racism experiences may have on the DAS, and smoking behaviors of racially minoritized emerging adults. Implications for research are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Online racism, psychological distress, and alcohol use among racial minority women and men: A multi-group mediation analysis.

We examined whether alcohol use may be linked to stress associated with online racism as a risky coping behavior among racial minority adults, and potential gender differences across women and men. We tested parallel stress pathways in which we hypothesized that exposure to online racism would be indirectly related to alcohol use severity via general psychological distress and social media-related stress. With data from 395 racial/ethnic minority adults (M age = 34.12; 57% women; 40% Black/African American, 23% Asian/Asian American, 20% Hispanic/Latinx American), we conducted a multi-group path analysis of online racism (Perceived Online Racism Scale) predicting alcohol use severity (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test) mediated by social media-related stress and psychological distress (Kessler-6) across women and men. Psychological distress was a significant partial mediator for women and men, but social media-related stress was a significant partial mediator only for women. In line with cyberbullying literature noting a greater risk of online victimization for women, racial minority women may be experiencing social media-related stress in addition to general psychological distress associated with online racism that places them at greater risk of alcohol-related coping. Our findings suggest that online racism may be a contemporary digital burden that may drive detrimental health behaviors such as alcohol use and present initial evidence to advance future prevention research. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Race, psychosocial characteristics, and treatment outcomes among individuals undergoing treatment for cannabis use disorder: A latent profile analysis based on preferred method of using cannabis.

INTRODUCTION: There are a wide variety of methods for using combustible cannabis which may impact an individual's pattern of use as well as their response to cannabis use disorder (CUD) treatment. Previous research has noted racial/ethnic differences in cannabis users' preferred method of use. METHOD: The current study examined data from a randomized placebo-controlled trial of a pharmacological intervention for adults with CUD. Latent profile analysis classified participants (N = 302) based on their primary method of combustible cannabis use. RESULTS: A four profile solution emerged which identified participants who demonstrated 1) Primarily Joint (n = 50), 2) Primarily Blunt (n = 106), 3) Mixed MoU (n = 30), and 4) Primarily Pipe (i.e., pipe or bong; n = 116) use. Profiles were compared on socio-demographic characteristics and racial differences were found among the four latent profiles as well as differences in their level of use. Cannabis users with a preference for joints were more likely to be White as compared to other racial groups. In contrast, a greater proportion of participants with a preference for blunts were African American. The Primarily Joint profile was found to have the highest cannabis relapse rate at 1-month follow-up (94%) which was significantly greater than the Mixed MoU (74%, x2 = 5.06, p < .05) and Primarily Pipe (78%, x2 = 9.24, p < .01) profiles. Interestingly, there was no difference in 1-Month Follow-up cannabis relapse rates between the Primarily Joint and Blunt profiles (87%, x2 = 9.24, p > .05). CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that treatment-seeking individuals who primarily use joints or blunts may face unique challenges that may impact cannabis abstinence. Along with other cannabis-related characteristics, an individual's preferred method of use may represent an important factor to consider in the treatment of CUD.

Socio-Cultural Subgroups of Latina/o Immigrants: A Latent Profile Analysis.

Socio-cultural factors, such as familismo, social support, machismo, and multigroup ethnic identity, are strongly associated with Latina/o immigrants' alcohol misuse and depressive symptoms. However, research has rarely explored whether unobserved groups of Latina/o immigrants with similar socio-cultural factors exist. Latent Profile analysis can illuminate which subgroups to target, or which socio-cultural factors need to be supported, to have an impact on the prevention and treatment of alcohol use and/or depression in the Latina/o immigrant population. Cross sectional data from on ongoing longitudinal investigation was utilized (N= 518 Latina/o adults living in Miami-Dade County, Florida and have immigrated to the US within one year prior to assessment). Latent Profile Analyses (LPA) were conducted utilizing validated measures of familismo, social support, neighborhood collective efficacy, ethnic identity, machismo, caballerismo, and marianismo. The LPA revealed three, significantly different profiles: (1) low socio-cultural protection (n=155, 29.98%), (2) high socio-cultural protection (n=21, 4.06%), and (3) high socio-, low-cultural protection (n=341, 65.96%). Profile membership was associated significantly with immigrant documentation status, education level, and past family history of substance use. Results indicate that Latina/o immigrants in the low socio-cultural protection group had significantly higher alcohol use compared to high socio-, low cultural protection group. No significant differences were found for depressive symptoms. We discuss implications of our findings and encourage researchers to continue to unpack the complexities associated with socio-cultural factors and Latina/o mental and behavioral health. Specifically, research should focus on socio-cultural factors can provide protection from negative health outcomes and increase resiliency among this population.

Associations of Objective and Perceived Neighborhood Ethnic Density on Hazardous Alcohol Use among Latinx Emerging Adults.

Background/Purpose: Emerging adulthood is an important time where substance use often peaks. Neighborhood Latinx ethnic density could be protective against negative health behaviors. Most studies on neighborhood ethnic density have focused on census-level aggregate measures, however perception of the neighborhood ethnic density could differ from objectively measured neighborhood density. This study investigated the effects of neighborhood ethnic density, both perceived ethnic and objectively measured ethnic density, on hazardous alcohol use among Latinx emerging adults in Maricopa County Arizona and Miami-Dade County Florida by gender. Methods: 200 Latinx emerging adults residing in Arizona and Florida completed a cross-sectional survey. Inclusion criteria were being age 18-25, self-identify as Latinx, and currently living in Maricopa County or Miami-Dade County. Data were analyzed using multivariate logistic regression and moderation analyses. Results: There was a statistically significant difference between perceived and objective ethnic density (Kappa = 0.353, p < 0.001). When ethnic density was measured objectively, alcohol use severity was statistically significantly lower for individuals living in highly ethnically dense neighborhoods (OR: 0.34, 95% CI: 0.12, 0.92). However, this association was only found for women in moderation analyses. There was no statistically significant association between perceived ethnic density and alcohol use severity. Conclusion: The present study found a statistically significant decrease in alcohol use severity among Latinx emerging adults who live in highly ethnically dense neighborhoods after adjusting for covariates. Future research should investigate the potential mechanisms in which these neighborhoods protect against alcohol use severity among Latinx emerging adults.

Hispanic mothers' accounts of vaccinating their adolescent children against HPV: features of the clinic visit.

ABSTRACTObjective: Despite the widespread availability of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine in the US, rates of vaccination among Hispanic adolescents lag behind those of other recommended vaccines. Understanding what happens during the HPV vaccination visit should provide important insight into communication between health care providers and Hispanic mothers and identifies areas where communication can be improved. As such, this qualitative study explored Hispanic mothers' experiences during their adolescent child's HPV vaccination visit.Design: Fifty-one participants completed individual interviews. Transcripts were analyzed using a conventional content analysis approach to identify emergent categories or themes.Results: We identified three features of the HPV vaccination visit including: the primary reason for the visit, the type of counseling the mother received about the vaccine and the type of HPV vaccine recommendation received. Most mothers reported that their child was vaccinated against HPV at a routine well-child visit. Some mothers reported that they received in-depth counseling about the vaccine, while others received brief or no counseling from the provider. Mothers also reported receiving either a strong recommendation to vaccinate, a recommendation to vaccinate that emphasized her choice, or no recommendation to vaccinate.Conclusion: Most Hispanic mothers report that they received counseling and a recommendation from their adolescent child's health care provider before vaccinating. However, most of the mothers first heard about the HPV vaccine at the vaccination visit. Mothers who had previously heard about the vaccine outside of the clinic, reported making an appointment specifically for their child to be vaccinated against HPV. Together, these findings indicate a need to raise awareness of the vaccine and to promote HPV vaccination more strongly in this population. Education efforts should target mothers in community settings, in addition to clinic settings in order to increase awareness and vaccination in this population.

Racial and gender inequities in the implementation of a cannabis criminal justice diversion program in a large and diverse metropolitan county of the USA.

BACKGROUND: Diversion programs are considered alternatives to the arrest and incarceration of non-violent drug offenders, including those found in possession of smaller amounts of cannabis in states with prohibitive laws. Despite the progressive nature of such programs, the inability to complete diversion program requirements can often result in greater involvement with the criminal justice system than traditional case adjudication. Few studies have evaluated racial group differences in cannabis diversion program completion. METHODS: The current study examined a sample of 8323 adult participants in Harris County, Texas' Marijuana Misdemeanor Diversion Program (MMDP) between March 2017 and July 2019. Gender, age, and race/ethnicity were examined as predictors of program completion and time to completion using Chi square, Kruskal Wallis tests, and Cox proportional hazard regression models. RESULTS: Both males and African Americans were over-represented (80 % and 50 %, respectively) among participants of Harris County's MMDP. African American (HR = 0.782, 95 % CI [.735-.832], p < .001) and Latino American MMDP participants (HR = .822, 95 % CI [.720-.937], p = .003) had significantly lower odds of MMDP completion and a longer interval to program completion as compared to non-Latino White participants. CONCLUSIONS: The current study identified racial/ethnic and gender disparities in a large county's cannabis diversion program. These findings may be related to law enforcement disparities which disproportionately target males and people of color. Findings may serve to inform the continued reform of the criminal justice system, particularly laws relating to cannabis.

Dynamic Transition Patterns in Acculturation Among Hispanic Adolescents.

Acculturation consists of multiple domains (i.e., cultural practices, identifications, and values). However, less is known about how acculturation processes influence each other across multiple domains of acculturation. This study was designed to investigate transition patterns of acculturative processes within and across domains in a sample of 302 recent-immigrant Hispanic adolescents, Mage (SD) = 14.51 years (0.88) at baseline; male = 53%). Adolescents were assessed six times over a 3-year period. Latent profile analyses identified two profiles (high [or increasing] vs. low) for each domain at each timepoint. We found largely stable transition patterns in each domain over six timepoints. Importantly, sequential associations among profiles in acculturation domains were also detected. Implication for acculturation theory and research are discussed.

Parental-perceived neighborhood characteristics and adolescent depressive symptoms: A multilevel moderation analysis.

AIMS: This study examines the moderating role of parental neighborhood perceptions on the relationship between neighborhood structural disadvantage and adolescent depressive symptoms. METHODS: Data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health) consisting of 12,105 adolescents and their parents were used. RESULTS: Mixed effects multilevel modeling revealed that parental-perceived neighborhood disorder was associated with higher levels of adolescent depressive symptoms (ß = .27, p ≤ .001). The interaction between neighborhood concentrated poverty and parental-perceived neighborhood disorder was also significant (ß = -.14, p ≤ .01). Low and high levels of parental-perceived neighborhood disorder were associated with lower (ß = -.41, p < .05) and higher (ß = .46, p ≤ .01) levels of adolescent depressive symptoms, respectively, with increasing concentrated poverty. Parental-perceived collective efficacy was not associated with adolescent depressive symptoms nor was it a moderator. CONCLUSION: Findings suggest that the neighborhood's social environment may mitigate adolescent depressive symptoms. Implications for structural interventions are discussed.

Perceived neighborhood social cohesion moderates the relationship between neighborhood structural disadvantage and adolescent depressive symptoms.

There is a dearth of research exploring the moderating role of the social environment on neighborhood structural disadvantage and depressive symptoms, particularly among adolescents. Therefore, we examined if adolescent perceptions of neighborhood social cohesion and safety moderated the association between neighborhood structural disadvantage and adolescent depressive symptoms. This cross-sectional study used data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health). The study sample consisted of 12,105 adolescents enrolled in 9th-12th grades during the 1994-1995 school year across the United States (U.S.). Mixed effects multilevel modeling was used to determine if adolescent perceptions of neighborhoods moderated the relationship between neighborhood structural disadvantage and adolescent depressive symptoms. Results showed that perceived neighborhood social cohesion moderated the relationship between neighborhood structural disadvantage and adolescent depressive symptoms (p ≤ 0.001). At higher levels of perceived neighborhood social cohesion, neighborhood structural disadvantage was associated with decreased depressive symptoms. Findings suggest that improving perceived neighborhood social cohesion may decrease adolescent depressive symptoms, particularly in neighborhoods with high disadvantage. This aspect of the neighborhood social environment may serve as a target for structural and other interventions to address the growing burden of depression among adolescents.

Toward a Model of HPV Vaccine Series Completion in Adolescent Hispanic Males: Identifying Mothers' Salient Behavioral, Normative, and Control Beliefs.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine series completion among adolescent Hispanic males (35%) is lower than the Healthy People 2020 80% goal. This directed qualitative content analysis identified mothers' beliefs about their sons completing the series. We found that mothers (N = 19) (1) express positive feelings; (2) believe the vaccine has positive effects; (3) identify the father and doctors as supporters and friends as nonsupporters; (4) list health insurance, transportation, and clinic reminders as facilitators; and (5) mention affordability as a barrier to vaccine completion. Results provide guidance for interventions. Increasing HPV vaccination among boys will decrease the overall incidence of HPV in this population.

'Love and trust, you can be blinded': HIV risk within relationships among Latina women in Miami, Florida.

OBJECTIVES: Latina women are disproportionately affected by HIV in the US, and account for 30% of all HIV infections in Miami-Dade County, Florida. The main risk for Latina women is heterosexual contact. Little is known about the relational and cultural factors that may impact women's HIV risk perception. This study aims to describe Latina women's perception of their HIV risk within a relational, cultural, and linguistic context. DESIGN: Eight focus groups of Latina women (n = 28), four English speaking groups and four Spanish speaking groups, were conducted between December 2013 and May 2014. Women were recruited from a diversion program for criminal justice clients and by word of mouth. Eligibility criteria included the following: self-identify as Hispanic/Latino, 18-49 years of age, and self-identify as heterosexual. A two-level open coding analytic approach was conducted to identify themes across groups. RESULTS: Most participants were foreign-born (61%) and represented the following countries: Cuba (47%), Honduras (17.5%), Mexico (12%), as well as Nicaragua, Puerto Rico, Colombia, and Venezuela (15%). Participant ages ranged between 18 and 49, with a mean age of 32 years. Relationship factors were important in perceiving HIV risk including male infidelity, women's trust in their male partners, relationship type, and getting caught up in the heat of the moment. For women in the English speaking groups, drug use and trading sex for drugs were also reasons cited for putting them at risk for HIV. English speaking women also reported that women should take more responsibility regarding condom use. CONCLUSION: Findings emphasize the importance of taking relational and cultural context into account when developing HIV prevention programs for Latina women. Interventions targeting English speaking Latina women should focus on women being more proactive in their sexual health; interventions focused on Spanish speaking women might target their prevention messages to either men or couples.

Using Social Marketing Theory as a Framework for Understanding and Increasing HPV Vaccine Series Completion Among Hispanic Adolescents: A Qualitative Study.

HPV vaccine series completion rates among adolescent Hispanic females and males (~39 and 21 %, respectively) are far below the Healthy People 80 % coverage goal. Completion of the 3-dose vaccine series is critical to reducing the incidence of HPV-associated cancers. This formative study applies social marketing theory to assess the needs and preferences of Hispanic mothers in order to guide the development of interventions to increase HPV vaccine completion. We conducted 51 in-depth interviews with Hispanic mothers of adolescents to identify the key concepts of social marketing theory (i.e., the four P's: product, price, place and promotion). Results suggest that a desire complete the vaccine series, vaccine reminders and preventing illnesses and protecting their children against illnesses and HPV all influence vaccination (product). The majority of Completed mothers did not experience barriers that prevented vaccine series completion and Initiated mothers perceived a lack of health insurance and the cost of the vaccine as potential barriers. Informational barriers were prevalent across both market segments (price). Clinics are important locations for deciding to complete the vaccine series (place). They are the preferred sources to obtain information about the HPV vaccine thus making them ideal locations to deliver intervention messages, followed by television, the child's school and brochures (promotion). Increasing HPV vaccine coverage among Hispanic adolescents will reduce the rates of HPV-associated cancers and the cervical cancer health disparity among Hispanic women. This research can inform the development of an intervention to increase HPV vaccine series completion in this population.

Health Literacy, Smoking, and Health Indicators in African American Adults.

We examined cross-sectional associations of health literacy (HL) with smoking and other established health indicators among 1,467 African American adults. Data emanated from a longitudinal cohort study designed to investigate cancer risk factors among church-going African American adults. We conducted linear and logistic regression analyses to assess associations between HL and health indicators. HL was assessed using an established single-item screening question. Outcomes included indicators of poor physical health (cigarette smoking, self-rated general and physical health) and mental health (self-rated mental health, depressive symptoms, perceived stress). Nearly 19% of participants had low HL. Low HL was significantly associated with current smoking, poorer self-rated general and physical health, and higher perceived stress (ps < .05) even after we controlled for demographic variables (i.e., age, gender, relationship status) and indicators of socioeconomic status (i.e., education, income, insurance status). Low HL appears to be an independent risk factor for smoking and other indicators of poor physical and mental health in a large sample of African American adults. Future directions and clinical implications are discussed.

Testing a Moderated Mediation Model of Mindfulness, Psychosocial Stress, and Alcohol Use among African American Smokers.

Mindfulness-based strategies have received empirical support for improving coping with stress and reducing alcohol use. The present study presents a moderated mediation model to explain how mindfulness might promote healthier drinking patterns. This model posits that mindfulness reduces perceived stress, leading to less alcohol use, and also weakens the linkage between stress and alcohol use. African American smokers (N = 399, 51% female, Mage = 42) completed measures of dispositional mindfulness, perceived stress, quantity of alcohol use, frequency of binge drinking, and alcohol use disorder symptoms. Participants with higher levels of dispositional mindfulness reported less psychosocial stress and lower alcohol use on all measures. Furthermore, mindfulness moderated the relationship between perceived stress and quantity of alcohol consumption. Specifically, higher perceived stress was associated with increased alcohol use among participants low, but not high, in mindfulness. Mindfulness may be one strategy to reduce perceived stress and associated alcohol use among African American smokers.

Factor structure and factorial invariance of the Multidimensional Acculturative Stress Inventory.

Using a national data set, this study examined the factor structure and factorial invariance of the Multidimensional Acculturative Stress Inventory (MASI) across Latino and Asian Americans, gender, and nativity (U.S.- vs. foreign-born). Results showed that a 4-factor model of acculturative stress provided good fit to the data. Tests of factorial invariance provided evidence of measurement equivalence across all of the groupings tested. These findings suggest that the MASI operationalizes acculturative stress in an equivalent manner across Latino and Asian American students, gender, and nativity.

Using the Theory of Planned Behavior to Understand Cervical Cancer Screening Among Latinas.

To reduce the high incidence of cervical cancer among Latinas in the United States it is important to understand factors that predict screening behavior. The aim of this study was to test the utility of theory of planned behavior in predicting cervical cancer screening among a group of Latinas. A sample of Latinas (N = 614) completed a baseline survey about Pap test attitudes subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and intention to be screened for cervical cancer. At 6 months postbaseline, cervical cancer screening behavior was assessed. Structural equation modeling was used to test the theory. Model fit statistics indicated good model fit: χ(2)(48) = 54.32, p = .246; comparative fit index = .992; root mean square error of approximation = .015; weighted root mean square residual = .687. Subjective norms (p = .005) and perceived behavioral control (p < .0001) were positively associated with intention to be screened for cervical cancer, and the intention to be screened predicted actual cervical cancer screening (p < .0001). The proportion of variance (R2) in intention accounted for by the predictors was .276 and the R2 in cervical cancer screening accounted for was .130. This study provides support for the use of the theory of planned behavior in predicting cervical cancer screening among Latinas. This knowledge can be used to inform the development of a theory of planned behavior-based intervention to increase cervical cancer screening among Latinas and reduce the high incidence of cervical cancer in this group of women.

Frequency of drinking games participation and alcohol-related problems in a multiethnic sample of college students: do gender and ethnicity matter?

INTRODUCTION: A drinking game (DG) is a high-risk, social drinking activity that consists of certain rules (i.e., when to drink and how much to consume) designed to promote inebriation and that requires each player to perform a cognitive and/or motor task (Zamboanga et al., 2013). Research suggests that non-White or female students who play DGs are at an increased risk of experiencing alcohol-related problems. Thus, this study examined whether the associations between DG participation and alcohol-related problems were similar for men and women and across ethnic groups. METHOD: College students (N=7409; 73% women; 64% White, 8% Black, 14% Hispanic, 14% Asian) from 30 U.S. colleges/universities completed self-report questionnaires. RESULTS: Controlling for age, site, Greek membership (i.e., membership in a fraternity or sorority), and typical alcohol consumption, results indicated that the association between DG participation and alcohol-related problems was stronger for men compared to women. With respect to ethnicity, the association between these variables was stronger among Black women than Black men. CONCLUSIONS: Findings from this large-scale study highlight the need to closely investigate how gender and ethnicity moderate the associations between DG participation and alcohol-related problems. College intervention efforts designed to address high-risk drinking behaviors such as DG participation might consider paying close attention to ethnic minority populations, perhaps particularly Black women.

Failure to replicate the structure of a Spanish-language brief Wisconsin Inventory of Smoking Dependence Motives across three samples of Latino smokers.

BACKGROUND: Research in smoking is hindered by a lack of validated measures available in languages other than English. Availability of measures in languages other than English is vital to the inclusion of diverse groups in smoking research. To help address this gap, this study attempted to validate a Spanish-language version of the brief Wisconsin Inventory of Smoking Dependence Motives (Brief WISDM). METHODS: Data from 3 independent, diverse samples of Spanish-speaking Latino smokers seeking cessation counseling were utilized. Confirmatory factor analyses of 3 known structures of the Brief WISDM were examined for fit within each sample. A separate analysis was also conducted with the 3 samples combined. A post-hoc exploratory factor analyses with the combined sample was also conducted. RESULTS: Across 12 confirmatory factor analyses, none of the 3 structures demonstrated good fit in any of the samples independently or in the combined sample. Across the 3 samples, high intercorrelations (>.90) were found among the Loss of Control, Craving, Tolerance, and Cue Exposure scales, suggesting great redundancy among these scales. An exploratory factor analyses (EFAs) further supported these high intercorrelations. Some subscales remained intact in the EFA but accounted for little variance. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, this study was unable to replicate the structure of a Spanish-language Brief WISDM in 3 independent samples of smokers. Possible explanations include inadequate translation of the measure and/or true and meaningful differences in the construct of dependence among Spanish-speaking Latino smokers. Both possibilities merit further research.

Mindfulness predicts lower affective volatility among African Americans during smoking cessation.

Recent research suggests that mindfulness benefits emotion regulation and smoking cessation. However, the mechanisms by which mindfulness affects emotional and behavioral functioning are unclear. One potential mechanism, lower affective volatility, has not been empirically tested during smoking cessation. This study examined longitudinal associations among mindfulness and emotional responding over the course of smoking cessation treatment among predominantly low-socioeconomic status (SES) African American smokers, who are at high risk for relapse to smoking and tobacco-related health disparities. Participants (N = 399, 51% female, mean age = 42, 48% with annual income <$10,000) completed a baseline measure of trait mindfulness. Negative affect, positive affect, and depressive symptoms were assessed at five time points during smoking cessation treatment (up to 31 days postquit). Volatility indices were calculated to quantify within-person instability of emotional symptoms over time. Over and above demographic characteristics, nicotine dependence, and abstinence status, greater baseline trait mindfulness predicted lower volatility of negative affect and depressive symptoms surrounding the quit attempt and up to 1 month postquit, ps < 0.05. Although volatility did not mediate the association between greater mindfulness and smoking cessation, these results are the first to show that mindfulness is linked to lower affective volatility (or greater stability) of negative emotions during the course of smoking cessation. The present study suggests that mindfulness is linked to greater emotional stability and augments the study of mindfulness in diverse populations. Future studies should examine the effects of mindfulness-based interventions on volatility and whether lower volatility explains effects of mindfulness-based treatments on smoking cessation.