Mindful attention moderating the effect of experiential avoidance in terms of mental health among Latinos in a federally qualified health center

Abstract

The present study examined the moderating role of mindful attention in the relation between experiential avoidance and anxious arousal, social anxiety, depressive symptoms, and the number of mood and anxiety disorders among a sample of Latinos seeking health services at a primary care facility. Participants included 326 adult Latinos (Mage = 39.79 years, SD = 11.27; 88.9% female; 98.2% used Spanish as their first language). Results provided empirical evidence of an interaction between mindful attention and experiential avoidance for anxious arousal, social anxiety, depressive symptoms, and the number of mood and anxiety disorders in the studied sample. Specifically, among Latinos with lower (vs higher) levels of mindfulness, greater experiential avoidance was related to greater anxiety/depressive symptoms and number of mood and anxiety disorders. Together, these data provide novel empirical evidence of the clinically relevant interplay between mindful attention and experiential avoidance regarding a relatively wide array of negative emotional symptoms and disorders among Latino primary care patients. Limitations of the study include a largely female sample and cross-sectional data.