Brooding Perfectionism: Refining the Roles of Rumination and Perfectionism in the Etiology of Depression

The current study examines the hypothesized interaction between certain dimensions of both perfectionism and rumination as diatheses for depressive symptoms. Three hundred and five participants completed measures of perfectionism, rumination, and depressive symptoms at Time 1, and then returned 4 weeks later at Time 2 to complete measures of stress and depressive symptoms. In line with our hypotheses, results indicated that individuals with high levels of certain dimensions of perfectionism (i.e., self-oriented and socially prescribed, but not other-oriented), high levels of brooding rumination (but not the reflection dimension of rumination), and high stress experienced the greatest increases in depressive symptoms over time. Moreover, results revealed that the role of self-oriented and socially prescribed perfectionism as diatheses for depression is dependent upon brooding rumination. This work has potential benefits for understanding the cognitive mechanisms that lead to depression.

Ruminative Responses to Negative and Positive Affect Among Students Diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder and Major Depressive Disorder

Rumination in response to negative affect has been found to predict the onset, severity, and duration of depressive symptoms. Few researchers, however, have considered rumination within bipolar disorder, nor have studies considered parallel responses that might intensify positive affect. The current study examined self-reported rumination in response to both negative and positive affect among people diagnosed via the SCID with BPD (n = 28), major depressive disorder (MDD; n = 35), or no mood disorder (n = 44). Participants completed the Ruminative Response Scale and the Responses to Positive Affect Questionnaire about their dispositional tendencies. Results indicated that compared to control participants, people with BPD and MDD endorsed heightened rumination in response to negative affect, but only those with BPD endorsed elevated rumination in response to positive affect. Within BPD, ruminative responses to negative affect were explained by depressive symptoms. Goals for understanding responses to negative and positive affect in BPD are suggested.

Dispositional Rumination in Individuals with a Depression History

Many studies show that rumination is related to current depressive episodes but very few studies have examined whether rumination is elevated among those with a history of diagnosed depression. The goal of the current study was to examine whether a history of diagnosable major depressive disorder (MDD) is related to rumination among undergraduates. In addition, individual difference variables (i.e. problem-solving abilities, neuroticism and self-esteem) that might help explain rumination were examined. Participants were interviewed with the SCID to diagnose MDD. Fifty-one had no history of MDD and 41 had a MDD history. Depression history was significantly related to rumination, even after controlling for subsyndromal symptoms. Rumination was related to negative problem-solving orientation. Major limitations of this study are the cross-sectional design, undergraduate sample and the relatively small sample size, particularly for multidimensional analyses.

Cognitive Vulnerability to Depression and Axis II Personality Dysfunction

The study of common vulnerabilities to depression and personality disturbance is important given that depression and Axis II personality disorders exhibit high rates of comorbidity and comorbid personality dysfunction is associated with longer duration of depressive episodes, increased risk of relapse, and poorer outcome. Further, it has been demonstrated that a relationship exists between cognitive vulnerabilities to depression, such as negative cognitive style and dysfunctional attitudes, and personality dysfunction. This study sought to further explore the relationship between cognitive vulnerability to depression and Axis II pathology by examining links between personality dysfunction, cognitive risk status, and rumination in a sample with no current Axis I disorders, while controlling for current and past depression. At high vs. low cognitive risk for depression, 349 undergraduates completed diagnostic interviews and self-report questionnaires during Phase I, Phase II, and Time 1 of the Cognitive Vulnerability to Depression (CVD) project. As expected, cognitive risk and rumination were related to overall Axis II pathology. Cognitive risk status was also significantly related to several personality disorder dimensions, including paranoid, schizotypal, histrionic, narcissistic, avoidant, dependent, and obsessive-compulsive. Rumination was uniquely related to the borderline and obsessive-compulsive dimensions. Our findings confirm and expand upon the relationship between cognitive vulnerabilities to depression and personality dysfunction.

The Role of Rumination and Reduced Concreteness in the Maintenance of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Depression Following Trauma

Rumination has been linked to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression following trauma. A cross-sectional (N = 101) and a prospective longitudinal study (N = 147) of road traffic accident survivors assessed rumination, PTSD and depression with self-report measures and structured interviews. We tested the hypotheses that (1) rumination predicts the maintenance of PTSD and depression and (2) reduced concreteness of ruminative thinking may be a maintaining factor. Rumination significantly predicted PTSD and depression at 6 months over and above what could be predicted from initial symptom levels. In contrast to the second hypothesis, reduced concreteness in an iterative rumination task was not significantly correlated with self-reported rumination frequency, and did not consistently correlate with symptom severity measures. However, multiple regression analyses showed that the combination of reduced concreteness and self-reported frequency of rumination predicted subsequent PTSD better than rumination frequency alone. The results support the view that rumination is an important maintaining factor of trauma-related emotional disorders.

Repetitive Thought and Emotional Distress: Rumination and Worry as Prospective Predictors of Depressive and Anxious Symptomatology

Repetitive thought processes have been implicated in vulnerability to both anxiety and depression. The present study used a prospective design to examine the ability of worry and rumination to predict these two forms of emotional distress over time. Participants were 451 college students (273 females) who completed self-report measures of rumination, worry, depression, and anxiety at two time points separated by 6–8 weeks. Results indicated that both worry and rumination prospectively predicted anxiety, whereas neither thought process prospectively predicted depressive symptomatology. Although females reported elevated levels of worry and rumination compared to males, gender did not moderate any of these effects. Based on these findings, it appears that repetitive thought in the form of both worry and rumination contributes to anxiety, whereas neither thought process contributed to the development of depressive symptomatology in the present sample. Post-hoc analyses raise the possibility that previously documented associations between rumination and depression may have been partially driven by criterion contamination between measures of these constructs (see J. E. Roberts, E. Gilboa, & I. H. Gotlib, 1998).

Shame Reactions to Everyday Dilemmas are Associated with Depressive Disorder

This study examined whether emotional reactions to everyday dilemmas are associated with depressive disorders in a sample of 195 undergraduates. Depressive disorder was assessed using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID). Compared to controls, individuals in current depressive episodes, as well as individuals with a past history of depressive disorder who were in remission, reported more shame in response to both hypothetical interpersonal and real life everyday dilemmas. In contrast, guilt was not significantly associated with depressive disorder. These results raise the possibility that everyday dilemmas and shame responses may play important roles in depressive disorders.

The Impact of Intensive Mindfulness Training on Attentional Control,Cognitive Style,and Affect

To evaluate the impact of an intensive period of mindfulness meditation training on cognitive and affective function, a non-clinical group of 20 novice meditators were tested before and after participation in a 10-day intensive mindfulness meditation retreat. They were evaluated with self-report scales measuring mindfulness, rumination and affect, as well as performance tasks assessing working memory, sustained attention, and attention switching. Results indicated that those completing the mindfulness training demonstrated significant improvements in self-reported mindfulness, depressive symptoms, rumination, and performance measures of working memory and sustained attention, relative to a comparison group who did not undergo any meditation training. This study suggests future directions for the elucidation of the critical processes that underlie the therapeutic benefits of mindfulness-based interventions.

Depressive Rumination and Directed Forgetting: An Examination of Encoding Style

The present study investigated the impact of depressive rumination on encoding style using the item-cued directed forgetting procedure. High dysphoric (N = 40) and low dysphoric (N = 40) students were randomly allocated to either a rumination or distraction induction. Participants were shown intermixed negative, positive, and neutral words on a computer screen that were followed by instructions to remember or forget each word. High dysphoric participants in both the rumination and distraction conditions exhibited standard directed forgetting effects; i.e., better recall of to-be-remembered than to-be-forgotten words, for all word types. These findings do not support the proposal that rumination enhances the encoding of negative information in high dysphoric participants. Findings are discussed with reference to the contribution of retrieval processes, and with consideration of the application of the directed forgetting paradigm to affective disorders.

Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy and Self-Discrepancy in Recovered Depressed Patients with a History of Depression and Suicidality

Long-term vulnerability to depression is related to the presence of perceived discrepancies between the actual self and ideal self-guides. This study examined the immediate effects of an 8-week course of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) on self-discrepancies in individuals currently in recovery, with a history of affective disorder that included suicidal ideation and behaviour. Results indicated significant time × group interactions for both ideal self similarity and ideal self likelihood ratings, primarily accounted for by increases in self-discrepancy from pre-test to post-test in the waiting list group which were not seen in those receiving MBCT. Changes in self-discrepancy were not associated with changes in residual depressive symptoms, but in the MBCT group there was a significant association between increases in ideal self similarity and the adoption of more adaptive ideal self-guides post treatment. MBCT may protect against increases in self-discrepancy in people vulnerable to relapse to depression and may also facilitate a shift in the goals of self-regulation.

Assessing Cognitive and Behavioral Coping Strategies in Children

The objective was to examine the psychometric qualities of a Dutch version of the Coping Strategies Checklist for Children (CCSC-R1) in the Netherlands and to replicate the 4-factor coping model that was established in an American population. Confirmatory factor analyses were used to investigate the factorial structure underlying the 13 subscales. A 5-factor model in which Positive Cognitive Restructuring was a separate coping dimension proved superior to a 4-factor model in which Positive Cognitive Restructuring was part of Direct Problem Solving. The 5-factor model proved invariant across age, and 10 subscales proved invariant across gender. Significant gender differences were found for the subscales “support for feelings,” “distracting actions” and “wishful thinking,” with girls scoring higher than boys. Pro-social behavior correlated positively with all five coping dimensions; the strongest correlations were with the coping dimensions Direct Problem Solving and Positive Cognitive Restructuring. Socially inadequate behavior was only significantly correlated with Avoidance Coping. The significance of coping assessment for cognitive and behavioral interventions for children with mental health problems was discussed.

The Ruminative Response Style in Adolescents: An Examination of Its Specific Link to Symptoms of Depression

This study further examined the relation between a ruminative response style and symptoms of depression in nonclinical adolescents aged 12–18 years (N = 231). Participants completed questionnaires that measure rumination, neuroticism, and symptoms of depression and anxiety. Results indicated that rumination was significantly linked to symptoms of depression, and that this link remained significant when controlling for neuroticism. However, when concurrent anxiety symptoms were also taken into account, rumination was no longer significantly related to symptoms of depression. Interestingly, rumination appeared to be a significant correlate of anxiety symptoms, even after controlling for neuroticism and concurrent symptoms of depression. Support was found for a mediation model in which the link between neuroticism and depression and anxiety symptoms was partially mediated by rumination.

Rumination and Vegetative Symptoms: A Test of the Dual Vulnerability Model of Seasonal Depression

The Dual Vulnerability Model of seasonal affective disorder proposes that the cognitive-affective symptoms of seasonal depression are the result of an interaction of a diathesis of cognitive vulnerability to depression and the stressor of seasonal vegetative change. Two studies examined this hypothesis employing a within-subject design with daily data on vegetative and cognitive-affective depressive symptoms. Study 1 included a subclinical sample and a trait measure of ruminative response style. Study 2 included a clinical sample and reports of actual ruminative thoughts and behaviors in response to fatigue. Results of mixed linear model analyses in both studies supported the hypothesis that rumination moderates the relationship between the vegetative symptoms and the cognitive-affective symptoms of seasonal depression. The extension of the model to other subtypes of depression is considered.

Executive Function Deficits,Rumination and Late-Onset Depressive Symptoms in Older Adults

Empirical evidence indicates that late-onset depression (i.e., age of onset ≥60 years) is associated with executive function decline. This relationship suggests the possibility that executive dysfunction (ED) may contribute to depressive symptoms because it leads to decreased ability to inhibit ruminative thinking. This hypothesis was tested in a sample of 44 older adults reporting depressive symptoms with onset either late in adulthood or earlier in life. Consistent with hypotheses, older adults suffering from late onset, but not early onset, depressive symptoms showed an association between ED and depressive symptomatology. Furthermore, this selective relationship between ED and depressive symptomatology was mediated by ruminative tendencies. These results suggest that executive function deficits may contribute to late-onset of depressive symptoms by interfering with the ability to control ruminative thoughts.

Rumination in Interpersonal Relationships: Does Co-rumination Explain Gender Differences in Emotional Distress and Relationship Satisfaction Among College Students?

Rose (Child Dev 73:1830–1843, 2002) found evidence that co-rumination accounts for girls’ greater emotional distress as well as their greater friendship satisfaction compared to boys. Co-rumination is defined as a passive, repetitive discussion of symptoms or problems with a close other. The present study explored the associations between co-rumination in various types of close relationships and both emotional distress and relationship satisfaction in college students. First, confirmatory factor analyses demonstrated that co-rumination is distinct from depressive rumination. Further, co-rumination with one’s closest friend mediated the relationship between gender and both depressive symptoms and friendship satisfaction. Specifically, females reported higher levels of co-rumination with their closest friend, which in turn, predicted their higher levels of depressive symptomatology and friendship satisfaction. In contrast, there were no gender differences in co-rumination in other close relationships, and for the most part, co-rumination in these relationships was not associated with gender differences in emotional distress or relationship satisfaction. Therefore, co-rumination in close friendships may be particularly important in understanding the higher levels of both depression and relationship satisfaction among females compared to males.

Flexibility and Negative Affect: Examining the Associations of Explanatory Flexibility and Coping Flexibility to Each Other and to Depression and Anxiety

Recent research on vulnerabilities to depression and anxiety has begun to de-emphasize cognitive content in favor of the responsiveness of the individual to variations in situational context in arriving at explanations of events (explanatory flexibility) or attempts to cope with negative events (coping flexibility). The present study integrates these promising avenues of conceptualization by assessing the respective contributions of explanatory and coping flexibility to current levels of depression and anxiety symptoms. Results of structural equation modeling support a model of partial mediation in which both explanatory flexibility and coping flexibility independently contribute to the prediction of latent negative affect, with coping flexibility partially mediating the influence of explanatory flexibility.

Relationships Between Attribution Style, Child Abuse History, and PTSD Symptom Severity in Vietnam Veterans

Relationships between learned helplessness, locus of control, child abuse histories, adult trauma exposure and subsequent PTSD symptom severity in a clinical sample of male Vietnam veterans were examined. Learned helplessness and external locus of control were not only reliably associated with each other, but also differentially associated with childhood abuse and PTSD symptom severity. Learned helplessness, in particular, evidenced significant relationships with both childhood trauma and current distress. Contrary to expectations, child abuse history was not reliably associated with combat-related PTSD. Overall results suggested that learned helplessness and external locus of control are correlated, but independent constructs with compelling links to adult psychopathology.

Predicting Changes in Obsessive Compulsive Symptoms Over a Six-Month Follow-Up: A Prospective Test of Cognitive Models of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Cognitive models of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) propose that OCD-related beliefs (e.g., inflated responsibility) and negative life events should predict changes in OC symptoms over time (Rachman, 1997, Behaviour Research and Therapy, 35, 793–802; Rachman, 1998, Behaviour Research and Therapy, 36, 385–401; Rachman, 2002, Behaviour Research and Therapy, 40, 625–639; Salkovskis, 1985, Behaviour Research and Therapy, 23, 571–583; Salkovskis & Kirk, 1997, In The science and practice of cognitive behavior therapy. Oxford: Oxford University Press). However, very little research has tested these longitudinal predictions. The current study sought to replicate and extend findings by Coles and Horng (2006, Cognitive Therapy and Research, 30, 723–746) showing that OCD-related beliefs and negative life events significantly predicted changes in the frequency of OC symptoms over 6 weeks. Results of the current study, using a 6-month prospective longitudinal design, provided modest support for cognitive models of OCD. Negative life events significantly predicted residual change in both the frequency of, and distress associated with, OC symptoms. Initial OCD-related beliefs significantly predicted residual change in the distress associated with OC symptoms, but there was much additional variance to be accounted for. Additional data are presented that both examine the specificity of these predictors to changes in OC symptoms versus social anxiety and depressive symptoms, and explore particular types of life events in predicting symptom changes over time.

A Follow-up Analogue Study on the Effectiveness of the Cognitive Rationale

Cognitive Therapy (CT) for depression presents a rationale for symptom reduction early in treatment. The rationale is described in lay terms as an ABC sequence, such that A represents a recent event, B represents automatic thoughts about the event, and C represents the resulting affective response. A previous study (Kanter, J. W., Kohlenberg, R. J., & Loftus, E. F. (2004). Cognitive Therapy and Research, 28, 229) that compared the CT rationale to an alternative (by flipping the terms of ABC into an ACB theory in which affect is assumed to proceed and cause cognition) suggested that the CT rationale may operate through demand characteristics because the alternative was equally influential. However, that study did not allow for the possibility that demand characteristics were differentially operative (perhaps one rationale produced real changes in identification of automatic thoughts while the other produced demand responding). The current study extended the previous study by manipulating demand characteristics directly and by adding a 1-week follow-up condition. Results indicate that the influence of the cognitive rationale is robust and, in contrast to the previous study, may not be dependent on demand characteristics.

Die vereinfachte transartikuläre Platzierung des femoralen Bohrkanals bei der vorderen Kreuzbandplastik durch einen elektrischen Beinhalter

Ohne Zusammenfassung

---