| Rumination has been linked to the onset and maintenance of depression and anxiety symptomatology in women. Recent research, however, suggests that current conceptualizations of rumination may consist of two distinct factors, namely brooding and pondering, which are proposed to have maladaptive and adaptive aspects, respectively. Few studies have examined the relationships between these cognitive styles, mood, and other behavioural coping styles in depression. In this study, 79 recovered depressed women completed self-report measures of rumination, reflection, cognitive and behavioural avoidance, problem-solving, acceptance, metacognition, and depressive and anxious symptoms. Participants were also randomly assigned to receive either a rumination, reflection, or distraction induction procedure. Correlational analyses revealed that self-reported rumination was positively and significantly associated with depression and anxiety symptoms, positive and negative beliefs about rumination, and avoidance, while reflection/ pondering was not. Rumination was also found to be negatively associated with willingness to accept and act on negative feelings, while reflection/ pondering was positively correlated with acceptance. Individuals in the rumination and reflection groups showed significantly greater decreases in their mood from pre- to post- induction than those in the distraction condition. Hypotheses for longitudinal results at six-month follow-up were not supported in that rumination and positive metacognitive beliefs did not significantly predict depression and anxiety symptoms beyond initial symptomatology. Taken together, the findings underscore the value of differentiating between separate brooding and pondering components of ruminative thinking, though the adaptiveness of reflection/ pondering and the utility of rumination as a predictor of subsequent depressive and anxiety symptoms is questionable. Findings supported the contention that rumination should be conceptualized as a broad and nonspecific construct associated with negative affect. Strengths and limitations of this study, implications for theoretical models of rumination, and directions for future research discussed. |
