Mood and Cue Reactivity among Smokers with a History of Major Depression: The Role of Rumination and Impulsivity

Abstract

The present study tested the influence of rumination and impulsivity on experimentally induced negative mood among a sample of smokers with a lifetime history of major depression (MDD Hx+). Participants (N = 40) were categorized into four vulnerability groups: nonvulnerable (low rumination, low impulsivity), ruminative (elevated rumination, low impulsivity), impulsive (low rumination, elevated impulsivity), and vulnerable (elevated rumination, elevated impulsivity). Participants were counterbalanced to four experimental conditions, using a combination of a mood induction (negative mood induction vs. control) and smoking cue (in vivo cigarette vs. control cue). Although all participants reported greater anger responses when exposed to the negative mood induction versus control, vulnerable and ruminative smokers reported significantly greater anger responses than impulsive and nonvulnerable smokers [F(9,87) = 2.93, p = .038, Mse = 79.38]. Implications are discussed.