Purpose in the pandemic: Fear of COVID-19, hopelessness, meaning in life, and suicidal thoughts among two samples of Black Americans.

The mental health experiences of Black Americans remain understudied in existing COVID-19 research. While several vital reports highlight disparate physical health outcomes-and even higher mortality rates among Black Americans-few queries have considered the current mental health concerns for this particular group. This investigation therefore examines correlates associated with experiencing suicidal ideation at the beginning (e.g., 2020) and in a later phase (e.g., 2022) of the COVID-19 pandemic. Study 1 includes responses from (