Prospective Evaluation of the Effect of an Anxiety Sensitivity Intervention on Suicidality among Smokers

Recent empirical work has revealed a significant relationship between anxiety sensitivity (AS), particularly the AS cognitive concerns subfactor, and suicidality among cigarette smokers. The current study prospectively tested whether an intervention targeting AS (i.e. an AS-augmented smoking cessation program) would predict lower suicidality in a population known to be at increased risk for death by suicide (i.e. cigarette smokers). Participants (N=169) were randomly assigned to a standard cognitive behavioral smoking intervention or a cognitive behavioral smoking intervention with an AS reduction component. Findings indicate that the participants who received the AS-augmented intervention had lower suicidality compared to those in the standard intervention, even accounting for baseline suicidality, substance use disorder diagnosis, current depression, current anxiety, and current smoking status. As the first examination of the effect of an AS reduction program on suicidality, this study provides initial support for the hypothesis that reducing AS may lead to lower suicidality. Future work should include testing an AS intervention in a sample with elevated suicidality, as well as specifically targeting AS cognitive concerns, which has a stronger and more consistent relationship with suicidality than global AS.