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The Experience of Racism and Anxiety Symptoms in an African-American Sample: Moderating Effects of Trait Mindfulness

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An Erratum to this article was published on 31 October 2012

Abstract

The current study explores the potential buffering effect of trait mindfulness on the impact of racism on anxiety symptomology in an African-American sample. Fifty-seven participants completed a questionnaire packet containing measures of anxious arousal and stress (general anxiety) symptoms, trait mindfulness, and experience of racist events. Results indicated that trait mindfulness moderated the relationship between past-year frequency of racist events and anxious arousal. Specifically, the relationship between past-year frequency of racist events and anxious arousal was significantly positive at low levels of trait mindfulness and not significant at high levels of trait mindfulness. The clinical implications of these findings and future research directions are discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts Boston, 100 Morrissey Blvd., Boston, MA, 02125, USA

    Jessica R. Graham & Lizabeth Roemer

  2. Education Discovery Institute and Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior, Georgia Health Sciences University, Augusta, GA, USA

    Lindsey M. West

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  1. Jessica R. Graham
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  2. Lindsey M. West
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  3. Lizabeth Roemer
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Correspondence to Jessica R. Graham.

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Graham, J.R., West, L.M. & Roemer, L. The Experience of Racism and Anxiety Symptoms in an African-American Sample: Moderating Effects of Trait Mindfulness. Mindfulness 4, 332–341 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-012-0133-2

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