Anxiety and Depression Predict the Paths Through Which Rumination Acts on Behavior: A Daily Diary Study

Abstract

Introduction: Rumination—thinking passively, negatively, and repetitively—is a common cognitive process that is associated with poor health behaviors. Rumination impacts health behaviors through two distinct behavioral pathways: acting too quickly (impulsivity) or not acting at all (amotivation), though no research to date has examined the conditions under which rumination may manifest in these two disparate behavioral paths. The presence of anxiety and depression may lead to the behavioral manifestations of rumination, which may then differentially impact health behavior patterns. In this study, we tested whether individuals reporting anxiety who ruminate will then act impulsively and individuals reporting depression who ruminate will then not act in the context of their daily health behaviors. Methods: We recruited 285 college students (mean age = 19.3; 76.8% female; 79.4% Caucasian) and had them complete a baseline survey and an 11-day online daily diary to assess associations among anxiety, depression, rumination, and health behaviors. Results: Rumination predicted health behaviors through both impulsivity and amotivation as expected. Moderation models revealed that rumination in the context of anxiety leads to impulsivity and rumination in the context of depression leads to amotivation. Limitations: The undergraduate sample limits the generalizability of this data. Discussion: These results show that those who report depression or anxiety are likely to experience more daily rumination and the deleterious behavioral manifestations of that rumination, which then affects health behavior engagement or avoidance. Future behavioral health interventions can perhaps specifically target impulsivity among individuals reporting anxiety and amotivation among individuals reporting depression in order to promote more healthy behaviors.