1 - (SYM 114) Intersectional Minority Identity Examined as a Moderator of the Real-time Association Between Cognitive Control and Suicidal Ideation

Emerging adults who identify as a person of color, trans, and/or gender diverse (ages 18-22) are at higher risk of intersectional minority stress and subsequently are at elevated risk for suicidal ideation compared to their cisgender and white peers, particularly following proximal experiences of repetitive negative thinking (an indicator of deficits in cognitive control). Higher levels of cognitive control have been theorized to be protective against suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs). Utilizing ecological momentary assessment, this study examined whether the association between cognitive control and suicidal ideation differed depending on the participants’ intersectional minority identity (IMI). A diverse high-risk sample of undergraduates (n=44; observations=1,009; IMI=48%, history of suicidal ideation=100%, history of suicide attempt=43%, clinically relevant depression=60%, anxiety=58%) completed daily measures (three per day) of STBs and cognitive control for two weeks. Mixed-effect linear regressions indicated that greater difficulty with cognitive control relative to their own average level was associated with greater severity of suicidal ideation, controlling for IMI and history of suicide attempts (β=0.15, SE=0.06, p=0.006, marginal R²=0.07). However, mixed-effect moderation models found that the relationship between relative changes in cognitive control and suicidal ideation did not differ significantly between individuals with and without an IMI (β=0.13, SE=0.12, p=0.287). Understanding modifiable protective factors against suicide for young people with an IMI is crucial for creating culturally responsive and mechanistically targeted interventions. This study indicates that increasing levels of cognitive control may be a generalizable intervention target that is relevant for suicide prevention in high-risk populations both with and without diverse racial and gender identities.