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

Adolescent Females' Dyadic Conversations About Body, Weight, and Appearance

Body talk among adolescent females has been associated with negative outcomes, including depressed mood, disordered eating, and body dissatisfaction. Yet, little work has investigated the manifestation of body talk in actual conversations between adolescent females or explored pathways through which body talk is spread (e.g., co-rumination). The present study examined body talk among adolescent female dyads (N = 23 dyads) ages 13 to 17 (Mage = 15.12) using an observational design. Reciprocally nominated dyads were recruited from a high school in the southeastern United States. Conversations between dyads were qualitatively coded using an applied thematic analysis approach. Identified themes were related to weight, appearance, and personality. Results provide insight into the social context in which sociocultural norms of weight stigma, body dissatisfaction, and eating-related psychopathology may be reinforced. Findings have implications for informing the development of interventions to reduce co-rumination of negative weight- and appearance-related body talk and to promote positive body image and healthy weight among adolescent girls.

Weighing psychosocial factors in relatives for the risk of psychopathology: a study of patients with depressive and anxiety disorders and their siblings

PURPOSE

Siblings of probands with depressive and anxiety disorders are at increased risk for psychopathology, but little is known about how risk factors operate within families to increase psychopathology for siblings. We examined the additional impact of psychosocial risk factors in probands-on top of or in combination with those in siblings-on depressive/anxious psychopathology in siblings.

METHODS

The sample included 636 participants (Mage = 49.7; 62.4% female) from 256 families, each including a proband with lifetime depressive and/or anxiety disorders and their sibling(s) (N = 380 proband-sibling pairs). Sixteen psychosocial risk factors were tested. In siblings, depressive and anxiety disorders were determined with standardized psychiatric interviews; symptom severity was measured using self-report questionnaires. Analyses were performed with mixed-effects models accounting for familial structure.

RESULTS

In siblings, various psychosocial risk factors (female gender, low income, childhood trauma, poor parental bonding, being single, smoking, hazardous alcohol use) were associated with higher symptomatology and likelihood of disorder. The presence of the same risk factor in probands was independently associated (low income, being single) with higher symptomatology in siblings or moderated (low education, childhood trauma, hazardous alcohol use)-by reducing its strength-the association between the risk factor and symptomatology in siblings. There was no additional impact of risk factors in probands on likelihood of disorder in siblings.

CONCLUSION

Our findings demonstrate the importance of weighing psychosocial risk factors within a family context, as it may provide relevant information on the risk of affective psychopathology for individuals.

Co-rumination and conversational self-focus: Adjustment implications of problem talk in adolescents' friendships

Friendships are central relationships during adolescence. Given the increased experience of stress during adolescence, friends are especially critical sources of support at this time. Although experiencing social support is related to well-being, adolescents' experiences sharing problems with friends is not always positive. In this chapter, we consider two forms of problematic talk, co-rumination and conversational self-focus. Co-rumination refers to conversations about problems that is excessive, repetitive, speculative, and focused on negative affect. Conversational self-focus refers to adolescents re-directing conversations about friends' problems to oneself. Both co-rumination and conversational self-focus are associated with depressive symptoms. However, whereas co-rumination draws friends together and is associated with positive friendship quality, adolescents who engage in conversational self-focus are increasingly rejected by friends. Directions for future research and applied implications of studying social support processes between friends are discussed.

The role of familiarity with the experimenter on cognitive performance, metacognition, pro-social behaviors, and the well-being of adults with moderate to severe intellectual disabilities

BACKGROUND

Few studies have evaluated the explanatory factors of poor performance and the effects of context in adults with intellectual disabilities. The aim of this study is to assess the role of a familiar experimenter on their cognitive performance, well-being, metacognitive experiences, and social behaviors.

METHOD

Participants with moderate to severe intellectual disability were recruited into two groups, one with a familiar and one with an unfamiliar experimenter. They carried out a categorization task. Before and after they reported their metacognitive experiences and level of well-being. The experimenter observed their pro-social behavior.

RESULTS

Performance and some social behaviors were better when the participant knew the experimenter. However, he did not affect the level of well-being. The participants' metacognitive experiences were poor, whether or not they knew the experimenter.

CONCLUSIONS

The familiarity of the experimenter plays a determining role, both on the participants' performance, and on their compliance with certain pro-social behavior.

Thriving together: the benefits of women's social ties for physical, psychological and relationship health

The relationship between social support and well-being is well established in social psychology, with evidence suggesting that these benefits are especially prominent among women. When faced with an environmental stressor, women are more likely to adopt a tend-and-befriend strategy rather than fight-or-flight. Furthermore, female friendships tend to be higher in self-disclosure and more frequently relied on for social support, which is associated with physical and psychological benefits. Women are also more effective at providing social support, further augmenting those benefits. We begin with an overview of the characteristics of women's social ties and how they can be especially useful in times of stress. We then transition to the benefits of female social networks even in the absence of negative events and incorporate research from health and social psychology to consider the positive implications of having strong social bonds and the negative implications of lacking such bonds. Additionally, we consider cross-cultural differences in tendencies to seek out social support and its subsequent benefits, as well as the need for more research with culturally diverse samples. It remains unclear the extent to which patterns of social support benefits for women vary cross-culturally. This article is part of the theme issue 'Cooperation among women: evolutionary and cross-cultural perspectives'.

Psychological factors in adherence to COVID-19 public health restrictions in Italy: A path model testing depressed mood, anxiety, and co-rumination via cellphone

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the success of major non-pharmaceutical interventions, such as quarantine orders, has depended upon robust rates of citizens' adherence to protocols. Thus, it is critical to public health for research to illuminate factors that affect compliance with contagion-mitigating practices. Previous research has examined sociodemographic factors and aspects of psychological distress as correlates of adherence to public health guidelines. The current study expanded this research to investigate the psychosocial process of co-rumination, which has been identified in previous research as a maladaptive type of social interaction that is associated with elevated levels of anxiety and depression. Data were collected from 932 Italian adults during the initial stages of the highly stressful COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown. A path model was tested to examine multivariate relationships among sociodemographic characteristics, symptoms of psychological distress (i.e., depression and anxiety), co-rumination via cellphone, and self-reported adherence to COVID-19-related public health restrictions. Results revealed that higher rates of co-rumination via cellphone were associated with lower levels of adherence to public health restrictions. Symptoms of depression and anxiety were differentially related to co-rumination processes and adherence to public health restrictions. Higher levels of depression symptoms were directly associated with poorer adherence to public health restrictions, and this path was mediated through higher levels of co-rumination via cellphone. On the contrary, higher levels of state anxiety were directly associated with greater adherence to public health guidelines. This path was also mediated through co-rumination via cellphone. Higher levels of anxiety were correlated with lower levels of co-rumination, which in turn were correlated with lower levels of adherence. These results suggest fruitful directions for future research examining co-rumination as a maladaptive coping behavior that may be addressed within public health interventions.

Our Grandmothers' Legacy: Challenges Faced by Female Ancestors Leave Traces in Modern Women's Same-Sex Relationships

Investigations of women's same-sex relationships present a paradoxical pattern, with women generally disliking competition, yet also exhibiting signs of intrasexual rivalry. The current article leverages the historical challenges faced by female ancestors to understand modern women's same-sex relationships. Across history, women were largely denied independent access to resources, often depending on male partners' provisioning to support themselves and their children. Same-sex peers thus became women's primary romantic rivals in competing to attract and retain relationships with the limited partners able and willing to invest. Modern women show signs of this competition, disliking and aggressing against those who threaten their romantic prospects, targeting especially physically attractive and sexually uninhibited peers. However, women also rely on one another for aid, information, and support. As most social groups were patrilocal across history, upon marriage, women left their families to reside with their husbands. Female ancestors likely used reciprocal altruism or mutualism to facilitate cooperative relationships with nearby unrelated women. To sustain these mutually beneficial cooperative exchange relationships, women may avoid competitive and status-striving peers, instead preferring kind, humble, and loyal allies. Ancestral women who managed to simultaneously compete for romantic partners while forming cooperative female friendships would have been especially successful. Women may therefore have developed strategies to achieve both competitive and cooperative goals, such as guising their intrasexual competition as prosociality or vulnerability. These historical challenges make sense of the seemingly paradoxical pattern of female aversion to competition, relational aggression, and valuation of loyal friends, offering insight into possible opportunities for intervention.

"My Fibro Family!" A qualitative analysis of facebook fibromyalgia support groups' discussion content

Background

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a diagnostically controversial syndrome characterized by chronic widespread pain, fatigue, sleep difficulties, cognitive dysfunction, and mental health symptoms. Though online peer support groups (OPSGs) may help persons with FM access support and information, there are concerns that such groups can be harmful.

Aims and Methods

Using a nonparticipatory observational stance, the authors analyzed discussions in three Facebook FM OPSGs (approximately 15,000 members, mostly women) to determine what themes best characterize their discussion content and whether being in a particular group was related to the type of thematic content to which they were exposed.

Results

Two themes were identified that represented explicit reasons group members participated in the OPSG (trying to understand FM and seeking/offering emotional support). Six themes represented underlying reasons members sought informational and emotional support in FM OPSGs (fighting FM, learning to live with FM, struggling with identity, distressing thoughts and feelings, judgment, empowerment-seeking). No salient differences were identified between the thematic content of each group.

Conclusions

The findings suggest that FM OPSGs may provide much needed psychosocial and emotional support regarding important aspects of psychological adjustment to living with FM while also inadvertently encouraging approaches to living with FM that do not align with evidence-based FM management recommendations (e.g., investment in fighting rather than accepting FM). These findings may be useful to patients considering joining an FM OPSG and to health providers helping patients navigate to resources that can address their emotional or psychological support needs.

Links between Best Friendship, Romantic Relationship, and Psychological Well-Being in Emerging Adulthood

Best friendships and romantic relationships are linked to psychological well-being in emerging adulthood, but few studies have assessed their contribution simultaneously. This research (n = 190; 64.4% women) examined the links between intimacy and conflict with the best friend and the romantic partner on psychological well-being (self-esteem, depression, loneliness). Results showed that both relationships were independently linked to well-being, while also interacting with one another. Among participants reporting a less intimate or conflictual romantic relationship, an intimate best friendship was linked to higher self-esteem. Moreover, a conflictual best friendship was related to higher depressive symptoms only among those having a conflictual romantic relationship. Thus, best friendships and romantic relationships show distinct and combined contributions to well-being in emerging adulthood.

Co-Rumination May Mitigate Depressive and Anxious Symptoms for Those High in Social Interaction Anxiety

Introduction: Early co-rumination research has demonstrated that engagement in co-rumination, or persistent discussion of one's problems at length, can lead to increased depressive and anxious symptoms. There is limited research examining the direct relationship between a specialized type of anxiety—social interaction anxiety—and co-rumination, and that research has conflicting results, making it unclear what the relationship between the two is. The purpose of the present study was to further examine the relationship between co-rumination and social interaction anxiety, depressive symptoms, and symptoms of anxiety. Method: Ninety-six college women and men completed online questionnaires twice, separated by one month. Results: We found that co-rumination at Time 1 negatively predicted social interaction anxiety at Time 2. We also found co-rumination predicted reduced depressive symptoms, but only among those who had moderate and high levels of social interaction anxiety. In that respect, our findings replicate van Zalk and Tillfors (2017), who found that co-rumination acts as a buffer against depressive symptoms for individuals high in social anxiety. Our study also offers an extension of van Zalk and Tillfors in that the same pattern was found for anxious symptoms, but only among those with the highest levels of social interaction anxiety. Discussion: Therefore, co-rumination for highly socially-anxious individuals may serve as a form of positive social support, which highlights important individual differences on internalizing symptoms.

Co-rumination across in-person and digital communication: Associations with affect and relationship closeness in adolescents

INTRODUCTION

Despite the prominence of interpersonal emotion regulation, particularly during adolescence, it is a relatively understudied area of investigation. Co-rumination is an interpersonal emotion regulation strategy that is frequently used by adolescents. Traditional examinations of co-rumination have focused on its occurrence in person, while largely overlooking digital modes of communication. This study was the first to investigate adolescents' co-rumination across multiple communication modalities (i.e., in person, text, social media, phone) and its downstream association with affect and relationship closeness. Specifically, we examined: (1) the frequency of co-rumination across modalities, (2) the effect of co-rumination in one modality on the future use of co-rumination within that same modality (i.e., stability) and across other modalities (i.e., generalization); and (3) the prospective relation of co-rumination on negative affect, positive affect, and relationship closeness.

METHODS

Adolescents (n = 71; 33 girls and 38 boys; M_age = 12.70 years) residing in Canada completed twice-daily diary surveys for 14 days.

RESULTS

Findings indicated that adolescents co-ruminate across all modes of communication, particularly in person. There also was evidence of co-rumination stability and generalization over time for some modes of communication (within phone and from social media to in-person interactions), but not for others. Co-rumination through text and over the phone had affective and/or social benefits, whereas co-rumination through social media predicted diminished positive affect. We also identified ways these findings differed by gender.

CONCLUSIONS

Implications for adolescents' emotional and social development and the field of co-rumination are discussed.

Social media use and internalizing symptoms during early adolescence: The role of co-rumination

BACKGROUND

This study examined the longitudinal associations between social media use, co-rumination (repeatedly discussing personal problems with peers), and internalizing symptoms during early adolescence.

METHODS

Self-report measures were administered to a diverse sample of 1,205 early adolescents (51% girls; 51% non-Hispanic White; M_age= 12.75, SD = .71) at three time points (during the fall of 2016, spring of 2017, and fall of 2017).

RESULTS

Findings indicated that daily social media use predicted engagement in co-rumination, which in turn predicted increases in internalizing symptoms. Specifically, co-rumination significantly mediated social media use and anxiety symptoms.

LIMITATIONS

Study limitations include the use of self-report data and the geographically limited sample (restricted to the Northeastern United States).

CONCLUSIONS

Findings from this study highlight an important interpersonal pathway by which social media use may confer risk for internalizing problems. Prevention and intervention programs designed to reduce the negative effects that social media use may have on adolescent internalizing problems should target co-rumination as a modifiable behavior and provide skills training in the use of more positive, adaptive coping strategies.

A Transdiagnostic Approach to Sexual Distress and Sexual Pleasure: A Preliminary Mediation Study with Repetitive Negative Thinking

Sexual distress is a core characteristic of sexual dysfunction; however, little is known about its correlates. In the current study, we aimed to contribute to the understanding of both sexual distress and its positive counterpart, sexual pleasure, by taking a transdiagnostic approach to sexual distress using two types of repetitive negative thinking: worry and rumination. Because sexual activity mostly occurs in a dyadic context, we also looked at the potential mediating effect of co-worry and co-rumination, and we used them as mediators. Our preliminary exploratory quantitative study used a cross-sectional design, with a sample of 206 partnered heterosexual people. We used path analysis with parallel mediation, with structural equation modelling being performed using lavaan designed for R environment. Overall, our results show that repetitive negative thinking is associated with both sexual distress and sexual pleasure, and that neither co-rumination nor co-worry mediates these associations. The exception is the indirect effect of rumination on sexual pleasure that is mediated by co-rumination. These results demonstrate that a transdiagnostic approach to sexual distress is a new field worth exploring, and they contribute to establishing the relevance of a cognitive approach to sexual dysfunction.

Gender-specific effects of raising Year-1 standards on medical students' academic performance and stress levels

CONTEXT

Medical schools are challenged to create academic environments that stimulate students to improve their study progress without compromising their well-being.

OBJECTIVES

This prospective comparative cohort study investigated the effects of raising Year-1 standards on academic performance and on students' chronic psychological and biological stress levels.

METHODS

In a Dutch medical school, students within the last Bachelor's degree cohort (n = 410) exposed to the 40/60 (67%) credit Year-1 standard (67%-credit cohort) were compared with students within the first cohort (n = 413) exposed to a 60/60 (100%) credit standard (100%-credit cohort). Main outcome measures were Year-1 pass rate (academic performance), mean score on the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS, psychological stress) and hair cortisol concentration (HCC, biological stress).

RESULTS

Year-1 pass rates were significantly higher in the 100%-credit cohort (odds ratio [OR] 4.65). Interestingly, there was a significant interaction effect (OR 0.46), indicating that raising the standard was more effective for male than for female students. PSS scores (n = 234 [response rate [RR]: 57%] and n = 244 [RR: 59%] in the 67%- and 100%-credit cohorts, respectively) were also significantly higher in the 100%-credit cohort (F_(1,474)  = 15.08, P < .001). This applied specifically to female students in the 100%-credit cohort. Levels of HCC (n = 181 [RR: 44%] and n = 162 [RR: 39%] respectively) did not differ between cohorts, but were significantly higher in female students (F_(1,332)  = 7.93, P < .01). In separate models including cohort and gender, both PSS score (OR 0.91) and HCC (OR 0.38) were significantly associated with Year-1 performance. Only students with both high PSS scores and high HCC values were significantly at risk of lower Year-1 pass rates (OR 0.27), particularly male students.

CONCLUSIONS

Raising the Year-1 performance standard increased academic performance, most notably in male students. However, it also increased levels of perceived stress, especially in female students. In particular, the combination of high levels of perceived stress and biological stress, as measured by long-term cortisol, was related to poor academic performance. The study suggests a relationship between raising performance standards and student well-being, with differential effects in male and female students.

Parent-Adolescent Communication Influences on Anxious and Depressive Symptoms in Early Adolescence

The unique developmental changes and important role of parents during early adolescence warrants consideration of parent-adolescent communication, including open communication, co-problem-solving, and co-rumination, and its influences on adolescents' anxious and depressive symptoms. In this study, 400 early adolescents (M age = 12.49; 54% female) recruited from a middle school completed electronic questionnaires at two time points, 5 months apart. While most bivariate associations examined between communication processes and adolescents' symptoms were significant, path analyses found unique patterns. Specifically, over time, paternal open communication was negatively associated with adolescent anxious and depressive symptoms while paternal co-rumination was positively associated with depressive, but not anxious, symptoms. In contrast, few maternal communication factors were significantly linked to adolescents' internalizing symptoms, with only maternal co-rumination surprisingly being negatively linked to depressive symptoms over time. The results suggest how parents communicate with their children may be important as early adolescents develop problem-solving and adaptive coping skills to successfully navigate new experiences.

Cognitive Processes Unfold in a Social Context: A Review and Extension of Social Baseline Theory

Psychologists often assume that social and cognitive processes operate independently, an assumption that prompts research into how social context influences cognitive processes. We propose that social and cognitive processes are not necessarily separate, and that social context is innate to resource dependent cognitive processes. We review the research supporting social baseline theory, which argues that our default state in physiological, cognitive, and neural processing is to incorporate the relative costs and benefits of acting in our social environment. The review extends social baseline theory by applying social baseline theory to basic cognitive processes such as vision, memory, and attention, incorporating individual differences into the theory, reviewing environmental influences on social baselines, and exploring the dynamic effects of social interactions. The theoretical and methodological implications of social baseline theory are discussed, and future research endeavors into social cognition should consider that cognitive processes are situated within our social environments.

Peer Victimization and Problem Behaviors: The Roles of Self-Esteem and Parental Attachment Among Chinese Adolescents

Guided by the social-ecological diathesis-stress model, this longitudinal study examined the roles of self-esteem, parental attachment, and gender on the association between peer victimization and problem behaviors among Chinese early adolescents. A total of 466 Chinese middle school students (M_age  = 12.8 years) completed measures of peer victimization, self-esteem, and paternal and maternal attachment twice (T1 and T2; 6-month interval). Their guardians also completed ratings on adolescents' problem behaviors at both T1 and T2. Results indicated that self-esteem mediated the association between peer victimization and problem behaviors. Paternal attachment, but not maternal attachment, moderated the mediating effect of self-esteem. Moreover, the moderating effect of maternal attachment on the association between peer victimization and self-esteem varied depending on adolescents' gender.

A Cross-Cultural Investigation of Co-Rumination Via Cellphone Among Emerging Adults

Introduction: This study investigated cellphone-mediated co-rumination and its association with emerging adults' anxiety, depression, and social functioning. Comparisons on the basis of gender and nation of residence (United States vs. Italy) were made, and the co-rumination subcomponent of co-brooding was explored.

Method: Participants included 216 undergraduate students recruited in the southeastern United States and 375 students recruited in southern Italy.

Results: Co-rumination via cellphone was associated with higher levels of anxiety and depression and lower levels of social self-efficacy in the U.S. sample. Analyses of the co-brooding element of co-rumination via cellphone revealed its robust association with anxiety and depression in the U.S. sample. In contrast, among Italian emerging adults co-rumination via cellphone was not associated with anxiety or depression and it was positively associated with social well-being. Co-brooding via cellphone was not associated with anxiety or depression in the Italy sample.

Discussion: Cross-cultural and gender differences in co-rumination via cellphone and psychosocial functioning are discussed.

Examining the Relationship Between Daily Co-Rumination and Rumination in Response to Negative Events Among Adolescents Using Ecological Momentary Assessment

Introduction: Rumination and co-rumination are related processes characterized by repetitive focus on negative feelings and problems, with current theory suggesting that co-rumination fosters the use of intrapersonal rumination over time. Additionally, both rumination and co-rumination are related to the occurrence of depressive symptoms during adolescence.

Method: The current study utilized an ecological momentary design to examine the temporal relationship between daily co-rumination and rumination in response to negative events within a sample of young adolescents (N = 150).

Results: Hierarchical linear models indicated that co-rumination in response to a negative event significantly, positively predicted the use of rumination the following day, whereas use of rumination did not predict engagement in co-rumination the following day.

Discussion: Results of the current study support the hypothesis that co-rumination influences the tendency to ruminate individually, which may indirectly result in depressive symptoms over time.

Friendship Quality Moderates the Relation Between Maternal Anxiety and Trajectories of Adolescent Internalizing Symptoms

The current study examined the moderating role of friendship quality on the relation between maternal anxiety and internalizing symptoms in a 3-year prospective study of adolescent development. Participants included 177 adolescents (M _age = 16.05, SD _age = 0.91) and their mothers. Mothers reported their own levels of anxiety; youth completed self-reports of internalizing symptoms and friendship quality. Positive friendship quality moderated the relation between maternal anxiety and initial levels of internalizing symptoms. Maternal anxiety was associated with steeper increases in internalizing symptoms over time, but only for those with greater negative peer interactions. Findings underscore the important role of both parental and peer relationships in the development of internalizing symptoms and highlight specific avenues for clinical interventions.

Talking Together, Thinking Alone: Relations among Co-Rumination, Peer Relationships, and Rumination

Girls are more likely to engage in rumination, associated with the development of mental health problems, as well as report higher levels of friendship quality, hypothesized to protect against these disorders. The current study examined whether co-rumination may drive simultaneous increases in rumination and changes in friendship quality among adolescents. The project included 360 participants (43% boys), ages 9.8 to 15.8 years, and analyses revealed that co-rumination mediated the link between female sex and both rumination and negative friendship quality. There was also a bidirectional relation between co-rumination and positive friendship quality. These findings highlight several pathways by which co-rumination mediates the relation between sex and both maladaptive (i.e. rumination, negative friendship quality) and adaptive (i.e. positive friendship quality) outcomes.

Talking Together, Thinking Alone: Relations among Co-Rumination, Peer Relationships, and Rumination

Girls are more likely to engage in rumination, associated with the development of mental health problems, as well as report higher levels of friendship quality, hypothesized to protect against these disorders. The current study examined whether co-rumination may drive simultaneous increases in rumination and changes in friendship quality among adolescents. The project included 360 participants (43% boys), ages 9.8 to 15.8 years, and analyses revealed that co-rumination mediated the link between female sex and both rumination and negative friendship quality. There was also a bidirectional relation between co-rumination and positive friendship quality. These findings highlight several pathways by which co-rumination mediates the relation between sex and both maladaptive (i.e. rumination, negative friendship quality) and adaptive (i.e. positive friendship quality) outcomes.

Party Pooper or Life of the Party: Dampening and Enhancing of Positive Affect in a Peer Context

Dampening and enhancing responses to positive affect have been linked to depressive symptoms. The main aim of the present study was to examine such responses in an interpersonal peer context and to examine their relation with depressive symptoms. A community sample of 665 seventh-graders (52.0% girls, Mage = 12.7 years) took part in the study. Using a newly developed questionnaire, the Co-Dampening and Co-Enhancing Questionnaire (CoDEQ), a two-factor model distinguishing co-dampening and co-enhancing was validated. Relations with general depressive symptoms, anhedonic symptoms, and friendship quality were investigated. The direction of relations was examined over a 1-year interval using cross-lagged analyses. Cross-sectional results revealed that higher levels of co-dampening and lower levels of co-enhancing were associated with more depressive and anhedonic symptoms, while controlling for co-rumination levels. For anhedonic symptoms, this pattern also held over and above intrapersonal dampening and enhancing. Friendship quality was related to higher concurrent levels of co-enhancing and lower levels of co-dampening. The longitudinal results pointed towards a scar model, in that both depressive and anhedonic symptoms predicted relative increases in co-dampening over time; however, this did not hold in a model in which dampening and enhancing were included as control variables.

Trajectories of change in symptom distress in a clinical group of late adolescents: The role of maladaptive personality traits and relations with parents

In this study, it was analysed whether trajectories of change in symptom distress could be identified in a clinical group of late adolescents with personality pathology. Furthermore, it was examined whether maladaptive personality traits and relations with parents were predictive of following one of these trajectories. Three latent classes emerged from growth mixture modelling with a symptom inventory (n = 911): a Stable High, a Strong Decreasing and a Moderate Decreasing trajectory. Subsequently, by using multinomial logistic regression analyses in a subsample of late-adolescents (n = 127), it was revealed that high levels of Negative Affectivity and Detachment were predictive of following the Strong Decreasing, and high levels of Detachment were predictive of following the Stable High trajectory. Support from or Negative Interactions with parents were not predictive of any of the trajectories. The current results contribute to the notion of individual trajectories of change in symptom distress and provide suggestions for screening patients on personality traits to gain insight in the course of this change. © 2018 The Authors Personality and Mental Health Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Judicial stress: the roles of gender and social support

Because judges experience a myriad of occupational stressors, they are at risk of experiencing secondary trauma, burnout, negative mental/physical health, poor job performance and low job satisfaction. These experiences might not be uniform, however, as gender and social support might mitigate such stress-related outcomes. Judges from two states in the United States completed a variety of stress and subjective performance measures. Social support was related to less perceived stress, less burnout, and more job satisfaction, but only for males. This suggests that males and females might receive qualitatively different types of social support. Different types of social support could differ in their ability to buffer judges from these stress-related outcomes. Further, among judges with high social support, females scored higher than males on subjective job performance; the opposite pattern occurred for judges with low social support. Thus, a lack of social support appears to have a negative effect on performance self-appraisals but only for females. Results have implications for the psychological study of stress and for programs designed to reduce judges' stress.

Age-varying associations between coping and depressive symptoms throughout adolescence and emerging adulthood

The objective of the current study was to apply the novel technique of time-varying effect modeling to examine age-varying associations between specific coping strategies and depressive symptoms across adolescence and emerging adulthood (ages 14–24). The participants were drawn from a community sample and followed across 4 years of high school and once 5 years postgraduation (N = 1,251, 53% female, 58% non-Hispanic White). Coping and depressive symptom questionnaires were administered across all data collection time points. Time-varying effect modeling used all available data (N = 5,651 measurement occasions) and adjusted for gender. Venting emotions and denial were associated with more depressive symptoms at a similar magnitude across adolescence and emerging adulthood. A positive association between problem solving oriented strategies (planning, active coping) and depressive symptoms was not observed until age 17.5, after which the magnitude of the association strengthened. More frequent instrumental and emotional support seeking were linked to fewer depressive symptoms between ages 18.8 and 23.6. More frequent use of humor was associated with greater depressive symptoms from ages 14.0 to 14.6, but with fewer depressive symptoms from ages 16.8 to 18.8. The findings illuminate when and how associations between specific coping strategies and depressive symptoms may emerge and change across developmental age, generating both theoretical and clinical implications.

Co-Rumination Exacerbates Stress Generation among Adolescents with Depressive Symptoms

Through stress generation, individuals' own thoughts and behaviors can actually lead to increases in their experience of stress. Unfortunately, stress generation is especially common among individuals who are already suffering from elevated depressive symptoms. However, despite the acknowledgement that some individuals with depressive symptoms generate greater stress than others, few studies have identified specific factors that could exacerbate stress generation among individuals with depressive symptoms. The present study examines co-rumination as a factor that might exacerbate stress generation among adolescents with depressive symptoms using a short-term longitudinal design. Considering these processes among adolescents was critical given that many youth experience increases in depressive symptoms at this developmental stage and that co-rumination also becomes more common at adolescence. Participants were 628 adolescents (326 girls; 302 boys) who reported on their depressive symptoms, experiences of stress, and co-rumination with a best friend. Interpersonal stressors (peer and family stress) and non-interpersonal stressors (school and sports stress) were assessed. Consistent with past research, adolescents with depressive symptoms experienced greater interpersonal and non-interpersonal stress over time. Importantly, co-rumination interacted with both depressive symptoms and gender in predicting increases in peer stress. Depressive symptoms predicted the generation of peer stress only for girls who reported high levels of co-rumination with friends. Implications for protecting youth with depressive symptoms against stress generation are discussed.

Should we talk? Co-rumination and conversation avoidance in job search

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to adopt an approach/avoidance coping framework to examine the relationships of job search co-rumination (i.e. engaging in repeated and excessive conversations with a friend about job search problems) and job search talk avoidance (i.e. persistently seeking to escape conversations about the job search) on job search intensity and job search procrastination.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors surveyed 196 new labor market entrants (i.e. graduating students) at two points in time during their last semester in college.

Findings

The authors found that job search co-rumination is positively related to job search intensity, while job search talk avoidance is positively related to job search procrastination. Interestingly, though, the expected negative relationships between job search co-rumination and job search procrastination and between job search talk avoidance and job search intensity were not significant.

Practical implications

This study has implications for both job seekers and career counselors. For job seekers, understanding how their communication patterns influence their behaviors (and ultimately their success) can help them to see the benefits of a balanced approach to sharing about their job search. Furthermore, career centers could organize either job search mentoring or peer group programs to help job seekers navigate the intricacies of the job search process.

Originality/value

This study contributes to understanding whether and how talking (or not) with others (i.e. friends and relatives) about one’s job search influences one’s job search behaviors, such as intensity and procrastination.

Nonlinear Associations Between Co-Rumination and Both Social Support and Depression Symptoms

Co-ruminating about one's problems appears to involve both beneficial self-disclosure and harmful rumination, suggesting that moderate levels may be the most adaptive. This study used nonlinear regression to determine whether moderate levels of self-reported co-rumination in relationships with a sibling, parent, friend, and romantic partner are linked to the highest levels of self-perceived social support and lowest levels of self-reported depression symptoms in 175 emerging adults (77% female; M = 19.66 years). As expected, moderate co-rumination was associated with high social support across all four relationship types, but, somewhat unexpectedly, high levels of co-rumination were also associated with high social support. As predicted, moderate levels of co-rumination with friends and siblings were associated with low levels of depression. Contrary to hypotheses, high levels of co-rumination were associated with high depression within romantic relationships. Co-rumination with a parent did not have a linear or quadratic association with depression. These findings suggest that high co-ruminating in supportive relationships and to a lesser extent low co-ruminating in unsupportive relationships are maladaptive interpersonal processes but that co-rumination's relation to depression depends on the co-ruminating partner. Psychotherapies for depression may target these maladaptive processes by supporting clients' development of balanced self-focused negative talk.

Test Anxiety in Spanish Adolescents: Examining the Role of Emotional Attention, and Ruminative Self-focus and Regulation

Emotional attention has been found as a key predictive dimension of stress. However, very few studies have investigated the relationship between emotional attention and test anxiety. The objective of the present study was to analyze the role of emotional attention, measured using the Trait Meta-Mood Scale (TMMS), on the level of test anxiety, and measured using the Test Anxiety Inventory (TAI). In addition, we examined the potential mediating role of Self-Rumination and Self-Reflection, as measured through the Rumination-Reflection Questionnaire (RRQ), on the relationship between emotional attention and test anxiety. The sample included 385 Spanish adolescents between 14 and 19 years of age. Mediation analysis results are consistent with a model in which Self-Rumination, but no Self-Reflection, mediates the relationship between Emotional Attention and Test Anxiety. Finally, several potential implications of these findings to improve quality of life in adolescents are discussed.

An Experimental Investigation of Co-rumination, Problem Solving, and Distraction

Co-rumination involves excessive dwelling on negative aspects of problems within a dyadic relationship (Rose, 2002). While research has focused on the tendency to co-ruminate within particular relationships, we were interested in examining the behavior of co-rumination outside the context of a preexisting relationship. Using an experimental manipulation of co-rumination, the primary goal of this study was to experimentally test the effects of co-rumination and examine its associations with negative and positive affectivity. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three interviewing style conditions: a co-ruminative style, a problem-solving style, or a distracting style. Results revealed that the co-rumination condition significantly differed from both the distraction and problem-solving conditions on overall negative affect, sadness, and anxiety, but not on hostility. There were no significant differences among groups on positive affect. In conclusion, this investigation revealed detrimental effects of co-ruminative behavior even between strangers.

Co-Rumination of Fat Talk and Weight Control Practices: An Application of Confirmation Theory

Grounded in confirmation theory, the current research sought to explore the relationship between co-rumination of fat talk and weight control practices (i.e., binging and purging, exercising, and healthy eating behaviors), with a particular interest in whether perceptions of friends' responses during these interactions exacerbate or mitigate this relationship. Female friendship dyads completed online questionnaires at three time points across 2 weeks. Multilevel modeling analyses revealed that (a) co-rumination was positively associated with binging and purging and exercising, (b) women who perceived their friends as accepting reported less binging and purging, more exercising, and more healthy eating behaviors,

Interpersonal stressors in the schoolyard and depressive symptoms among Chinese adolescents: The mediating roles of rumination and co-rumination

Stressors have been identified as significant vulnerability factors in the development of adolescents’ depression. The present study focused on the relationship between depressive symptoms and two types of interpersonal stressors in the schoolyard, namely teacher-student interaction stressors (TSIS) and peer interaction stressors (PIS). More importantly, rumination and co-rumination were examined as two possible mechanisms to account for these relationships. A convenience sample of 570 Chinese adolescents aged from 12- to 19-years-old participated in this research. Results indicated that TSIS and PIS were significantly related to participants’ depressive symptoms. Furthermore, rumination partially mediated the relationship between PIS and depressive symptoms. Co-rumination was a partial mediator between both types of interpersonal stressors and depressive symptoms. Hence, rumination and co-rumination might serve as two mechanisms linking interpersonal stressors in the schoolyard and depressive mood in adolescence. The findings are discussed in the light of related literature and potential implications for school practitioners.

Predictions From Early Adolescent Emotional Repair Abilities to Functioning in Future Relationships

This study examined adolescents' ability to utilize emotional repair-to actively change negative moods to more positive moods-as a predictor of the quality of their developing peer and romantic relationships over time. Utilizing observational data and partners' reports, adolescents (N = 184), their close peers, and their romantic partners were followed from ages 15-19. Adolescents with initially stronger emotional repair abilities were rated as increasingly socially competent over time, and both displayed and experienced increasingly positive interactive behaviors with close peers over time. These adolescents' romantic partners also reported more positive relationships, with enhanced communication, and fewer critical, blaming, or hostile interactions. Implications for the role of emotional repair abilities in the development of successful relationships during adolescence are discussed.

In What Ways Do Bereaved Parents After Terror Go on With Their Lives, and What Seems to Inhibit or Promote Adaptation During Their Grieving Process? A Qualitative Study

The aim of this article was to identify the ways in which bereaved parents go on with their lives following terror killings and to discuss what appears to inhibit or promote adaptation during their grieving process. The results of the study are aimed at presenting advice to professional helpers. From 22 in-depth interviews with parents bereaved by the 2011 terror attack in Norway, four main themes concerning coping were identified: (a) decisions, mindsets, and cognitions; (b) proactive and confronting activities; (c) avoidant and protective activities; (d) coping through support and assistance. A variety of coping strategies were employed: avoidance, protection and distraction, adaptive and maladaptive rumination, thought control, and confrontation. Most parents used several strategies to varying degrees and interchangeably over time, likely more or less adaptive and functional. The importance of helping the bereaved flexibly regulate the oscillation between loss-oriented and restoration-orientated life-tasks is emphasized for helping them cope effectively.

Associations Between Fathers' and Mothers' Psychopathology Symptoms, Parental Emotion Socialization, and Preschoolers' Social-Emotional Development

In this study we tested whether the relation between fathers' and mothers' psychopathology symptoms and child social-emotional development was mediated by parents' use of emotion talk about negative emotions in a sample of 241 two-parent families. Parents' internalizing and externalizing problems were measured with the Adult Self Report and parental emotion talk was observed while they discussed a picture book with their children (child age: 3 years). Children's parent-reported internalizing and externalizing problems and observed prosocial behaviors were assessed at the age of 3 years and again 12 months later. We found that mothers' use of emotion talk partially mediated the positive association between fathers' internalizing problems and child internalizing problems. Fathers' internalizing problems predicted more elaborative mother-child discussions about negative emotions, which in turn predicted more internalizing problems in children a year later. Mothers' externalizing problems directly predicted more internalizing and externalizing problems in children. These findings emphasize the importance of examining the consequences of parental psychological difficulties for child development from a family-wide perspective.

Co-Rumination im Kontext des sozio-interpersonellen Modells der PTBS

Zusammenfassung. Theoretischer Hintergrund: Die Arbeit der Einsatzkräfte verschiedener Berufsgruppen (Feuerwehrleute, Polizei und Rettungspersonal) kann zu einer sekundären Traumatisierung führen. Das sozio-interpersonelle Model der PTBS von Maercker und Horn (2013) unterstreicht die Wichtigkeit des sozio-interpersonellen Kontexts für Traumafolgephänomene. In der vorliegenden Studie wurden entsprechend die Zusammenhänge zwischen sekundärer PTBS und erlebter gesellschaftlicher Wertschätzung, dysfunktionalen Mustern beim Offenlegen von traumatischen Inhalten (Disclosure) sowie Co-Rumination in einer russischsprachigen Population untersucht. Co-Rumination, das parallel zum intrapsychischen Ruminieren für das Wiederholen negativer Inhalte im Dialog mit anderen steht, wurde bisher noch nicht im Kontext von Traumaverarbeitung erforscht. Fragestellung: Ziel der Studie ist es zu untersuchen, ob Co-Rumination als interpersoneller Prozess zusätzlich zu den bekannten sozio-interpersonellen Variablen Disclosure und gesellschaftlicher Wertschätzung mit erhöhter post-traumatische Symptomatik assoziiert ist. Methode: Es wurden N = 168 Einsatzkräften in Weißrussland mit Hilfe von Fragebögen zu ihrer Symptomatik sowie den interessierenden sozio-interpersonellen Variablen befragt. Ergebnisse: Die in die Regressionsanalyse einbezogenen Prädiktorvariablen klärten insgesamt bis zu 50.4 % Varianz der sekundären Traumatisierung auf. Die Variable Co-Rumination klärte zusätzlich 2 % der Gesamtvarianz auf. Schlussfolgerung: Extensiver und wiederkehrender sozialer Austausch von negativen Inhalten, sogenannte Co-Rumination, ist in der Verarbeitung von traumatischen Erlebnissen mit erhöhter Symptomatik assoziiert und erweist sich dabei als von Disclosure und erlebter gesellschaftlicher Wertschätzung empirisch unterscheidbar.

Moderating effects of brooding and co-rumination on the relationship between stress and depressive symptoms in early adolescence: a multi-wave study

The current study investigated brooding and co-rumination as moderators of the relationship between interpersonal and noninterpersonal stress and depressive symptom trajectories. The sample consisted of 368 early adolescents ages 9 to 15 (M = 11.72, 63 % female) who completed self-report measures of brooding, co-rumination, stress, and depressive symptoms at baseline with follow-up assessments of stress and depressive symptoms at 3, 8, and 12 months post-baseline. Data were analyzed using multi-level modeling. Results showed that the association between interpersonal stress and depressive symptoms was stronger for adolescents high on brooding, compared to adolescents low on brooding. Sex moderated a co-rumination × stress interaction, with girls high on co-rumination and boys low on co-rumination reporting the highest levels of depressive symptoms when faced with interpersonal stress across the 1-year study period. These findings shed light on pathways to depressive symptoms in early adolescence and suggest that adolescent boys and girls may differ in these pathways.

Adolescents' co-rumination and stress predict affective changes in a daily-diary paradigm

Co-rumination has been related to both high quality friendship and depressive symptoms. However, little is known regarding the extent to which co-rumination may be detrimental, its distinction from rumination and potential gender differences in co-rumination. This study used a modified version of Rose's Co-rumination Questionnaire (Rose, 2002) to examine the behaviour of daily co-rumination with daily stress and negative affect among adolescents. Results demonstrated that co-rumination did not have a main effect in predicting negative affect, but did evidence a significant interaction with life stress. Additionally, co-rumination demonstrated incremental utility above that of rumination. Finally, gender differences were not supported. In conclusion, this investigation revealed that co-rumination exacerbates the effects of life stress and is predictive of increased internalising symptoms.