Does hostile rumination mediate the associations between reported child abuse, parenting characteristics and borderline features in adulthood?

Abstract

This cross-sectional study investigated whether hostile rumination mediated the association between several indicators of a negative childhood environment (retrospectively reported child abuse and perceived parental care and overprotection) and borderline features. Community participants (N = 524) completed self-report measures in the laboratory. Results showed that adults exhibiting borderline features reported less parental care and more parental overprotection, as well as greater abuse. Additionally, hostile rumination statistically mediated the associations between all childhood environmental variables and borderline features, even controlling for depressive symptoms, alcohol use and impulsivity. Although cross-sectional data cannot test causal mediation, this pattern of results provides preliminary evidence that hostile rumination may partially account for the well-established connection between negative environments and borderline features. Future directions, including a discussion of longitudinal and experimental work that might help build on and strengthen the current findings, are explored.