Levels Of Repetitive Negative Thinking Research Articles

Associations Between Repetitive Negative Thinking and Objective and Subjective Sleep Health in Cognitively Healthy Older Adults.

Poor sleep and high levels of repetitive negative thinking (RNT), including future-directed (ie, worry) and past-directed (ie, brooding) negative thoughts, have been associated with markers of dementia risk. The relationship between RNT and sleep health in older adults is unknown. This study aimed to investigate this association and its specificities including multiple dimensions of objective and subjective sleep. This study used a cross sectional quantitative design with baseline data from 127 cognitively healthy older adults (mean age 69.4 ± 3.8 years; 63% female) who took part in the Age-Well clinical trial, France. RNT (ie, worry and brooding) levels were measured using the Penn State Worry Questionnaire and the Rumination Response Scale (brooding subscale). Polysomnography was used to assess sleep objectively, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and the St. Mary's Hospital Sleep Questionnaire were used to measure sleep subjectively. In primary analyses the associationsbetween RNT and sleep (ie, objective sleep duration, fragmentation and efficiency and subjective sleep disturbance) were assessed via adjusted regressions. Higher levels of RNT were associated with poorer objective sleep efficiency (worry: β=-0.32, p<0.001; brooding: β=-0.26, p=0.002), but not objective sleep duration, fragmentation, or subjective sleep disturbance. Additional analyses, however, revealed differences in levels of worry between those with short, compared with typical and long objective sleep durations (p < 0.05). In cognitively healthy older adults, RNT was associated with sleep characteristics that have been implicated in increased dementia risk. It will take additional research to ascertain the causal link between RNT and sleep characteristics and how they ultimately relate to the risk of developing dementia.

Thinking twice: examining gender differences in repetitive negative thinking across the adult lifespan.

A wealth of literature shows that women report greater levels of repetitive negative thinking, particularly rumination, than men in adolescence and adulthood. However, little research has examined how these gender differences develop or change across the entire adult lifespan. The present study addresses these oversights using a nationwide longitudinal probability sample of adults over 12 annual assessment points (N = 64,901; Mage = 42.50, range 18-81; 62.9% women) and a single-item measure of global repetitive negative thinking. Critically, we use multigroup cohort-sequential latent growth modeling to determine whether changes in this construct over time are due to (a) normative aging, (b) generational differences associated with the historical period one was born and raised in, or (c) a combination of these processes. Our results reveal that rumination peaks in young adulthood for both women and men but declines steadily thereafter, reaching its lowest levels at the end of the adult lifespan. That said, some gender and cohort differences emerged, with young women-particularly young cohorts-reporting higher levels of rumination than their male counterparts and older birth cohorts. Our study suggests that gender differences in rumination may be most prevalent among young birth cohorts, though future research is needed to elucidate the mechanisms underlying these processes.

Real-Time fMRI Functional Connectivity Neurofeedback Reducing Repetitive Negative Thinking in Depression: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Sham-Controlled Proof-of-Concept Trial

Introduction: Repetitive negative thinking (RNT) is a cognitive process focusing on self-relevant and negative experiences, leading to a poor prognosis of major depressive disorder (MDD). We previously identified that connectivity between the precuneus/posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) and right temporoparietal junction (rTPJ) was positively correlated with levels of RNT. Objective: In this double-blind, randomized, sham-controlled, proof-of-concept trial, we employed real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging neurofeedback (rtfMRI-nf) to delineate the neural processes that may be causally linked to RNT and could potentially become treatment targets for MDD. Methods: MDD-affected individuals were assigned to either active (n = 20) or sham feedback group (n = 19). RNT was measured by the Ruminative Response Scale-brooding subscale (RRS-B) before and 1 week after the intervention. Results: Individuals in the active but not in the sham group showed a significant reduction in the RRS-B; however, a greater reduction in the PCC-rTPJ connectivity was unrelated to a greater reduction in the RRS-B. Exploratory analyses revealed that a greater reduction in the retrosplenial cortex (RSC)-rTPJ connectivity yielded a more pronounced reduction in the RRS-B in the active but not in the sham group. Conclusions: RtfMRI-nf was effective in reducing RNT. Considering the underlying mechanism of rtfMIR-nf, the RSC and rTPJ could be part of a network (i.e., default mode network) that might collectively affect the intensity of RNT. Understanding the relationship between the functional organization of targeted neural changes and clinical metrics, such as RNT, has the potential to guide the development of mechanism-based treatment of MDD.

Neural Processing Dysfunctions During Fear Learning but Not Reward-Related Processing Characterize Depressed Individuals With High Levels of Repetitive Negative Thinking

BackgroundRepetitive negative thinking (RNT) is a symptom dimension of depression that is associated with a poorer prognosis in terms of higher recurrence, treatment resistance, residual symptoms, and disability. This investigation examined whether RNT is associated with aberrant reward processing and fear learning. MethodsVery high RNT (VH-RNT) (n = 60) and high RNT (H-RNT) (n = 60) propensity-matched individuals with depression (age, sex, race/ethnicity, income/employment, body mass index, depressive and anxiety symptom severity) participated in this study along with matched healthy comparison volunteers (n = 30). This propensity-matched sample was selected from the larger Tulsa 1000 study. Participants performed two functional magnetic resonance imaging tasks: the monetary incentive delay task probing reward processing and the fear conditioning task probing aversive learning and extinction. ResultsBoth VH-RNT and H-RNT groups showed lower neural activity than healthy comparison subjects in reward circuitry, including the inferior frontal gyrus (VH-RNT: β = −1.24, H-RNT: β = −1.28) and the cerebellum (VH-RNT: β = −0.93, H-RNT: β = −1.14). However, individuals with VH-RNT exhibited lower activation than those with H-RNT in central autonomic network components during fear conditioning (β = −0.84) and continued conditioned responses during early extinction in the postcentral cortex (β = 0.71). ConclusionsVH-RNT showed aberrant processing in fear conditioning during both learning and extinction phases compared with H-RNT. These findings demonstrate that dysfunctions of negative valence associated with RNT may be domain specific, which should be taken into account for identifying potential specific targets of intervention.

Repetitive negative thinking: transdiagnostic correlate and risk factor for mental disorders? A proof-of-concept study in German soldiers before and after deployment to Afghanistan

Background and objectivesDisorder-specific forms of Repetitive Negative Thinking (RNT) are associated with multiple diagnostic categories, indicating a transdiagnostic nature. Few studies examined content-independent RNT processes across groups of diagnosed mental disorders. Moreover, theory describes RNT processes as critically involved in the etiology of mental disorders, empirical evidence however is scarce. We first tested the transdiagnostic nature by examining levels of RNT across groups of internalizing and externalizing mental disorders compared to healthy individuals and explored RNT levels in a comorbid disorder-group. Second, we examined whether RNT predicts incident psychopathology.MethodsIn a sample of German soldiers (n = 425) scheduled for deployment in Afghanistan, we compared RNT levels between diagnosed groups with alcohol use disorders, anxiety disorders and healthy individuals cross-sectionally. Exploratory analyses were conducted comparing a comorbid disorder-group to healthy individuals and to both single-disorder-groups. Longitudinally, we examined the predictive value of pre-deployment RNT levels for incident psychopathology after deployment (n = 167). RNT was measured using the Perseverative Thinking Questionnaire (PTQ), DSM-IV diagnoses were assessed using the standardized Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI).ResultsCross-sectional comparisons revealed that soldiers with alcohol use disorders and anxiety disorders showed significantly higher degrees of RNT compared to healthy soldiers. RNT levels in those with comorbid disorders were significantly higher compared to healthy soldiers but also compared to both single-disorder-groups. Longitudinal analyses revealed that higher levels of RNT prior to deployment were associated with a higher risk to have any incidental mental disorder after deployment. This however is only attributable to individuals with a PTQ score above a cut-off of 15.ConclusionsFindings provide evidence for RNT as a transdiagnostic correlate and a vulnerability factor for the development of mental disorders.

Examining Working Memory Performance in Adult Psychosomatic Inpatients.

BackgroundThere is cumulating evidence that working memory (WM) processing is impaired in individuals suffering from a psychosomatic and a psychological disorder. However, it is unclear how repetitive negative thinking (RNT), depressive symptoms, and patient characteristics (i.e., age and incapability to work) contribute to WM impairments. The present study examines how these factors affect WM performance in highly distressed adult psychosomatic inpatients.MethodsSeventy-six inpatients (Mage = 52.7, SD = 8.4) from a psychosomatic rehabilitation clinic performed a two-block WM updating task, with accuracy and reaction time as indicators of WM functioning.ResultsMultivariate mixed effect model results show that accuracy and reaction time significantly decreased from WM Block 1 to WM Block 2. Higher levels of RNT, more severe depressive symptoms and higher age were associated with worse WM accuracy in Block 1. None of these variables were significantly associated with WM reaction time (in Block 1).ConclusionFrom a clinical perspective, the results suggest that screening for the presence of high RNT levels, severe depressive symptoms or higher age may help to identify patients with impaired WM functioning and to intervene on these important patient characteristics early in the rehabilitation process.

Meditation experience is associated with lower levels of repetitive negative thinking: The key role of self-compassion

The primary aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between meditation experience and repetitive negative thinking (RNT) in regular meditators with a wide range of experience, and to examine the extent to which self-compassion and mindfulness mediate this relationship. RNT is a transdiagnostic process that is implicated in the development and maintenance of several mental health disorders. Converging evidence suggests that meditation practice is associated with improved mental health and may reduce levels of RNT. Increased levels of self-compassion and mindfulness have been associated with decreased levels of RNT and proposed as theoretically consistent mediators by which meditation practice exerts its beneficial effects; however, they are seldom considered in combination. In a cross-sectional design, 1281 meditators (mean age = 44.7 years, SD = 13.9, 53.7% female) completed questionnaires about meditation experience, RNT, self-compassion, and mindfulness. Linear regression and generalised structural equation models were used to examine the data. Longer duration of meditation experience was associated with lower levels of RNT and higher levels of self-compassion and mindfulness. Meditation experience was associated with RNT indirectly through self-compassion, but not through mindfulness. The results offer preliminary support for longer-term meditation as a potential means for reducing the maladaptive process of RNT. Clinically, self-compassion could be identified as a promising treatment target for interventions.

Emotional Awareness in Daily Life: Exploring Its Potential Role in Repetitive Thinking and Healthy Coping

Cross-sectional research has found that emotional awareness, which is composed of one’s emotional clarity and attention to emotions, is associated with psychopathology, emotion regulation, and coping. Not surprisingly then, emotional awareness is often a target of cognitive and behavioral therapies. However, little is known about what emotional awareness is related to in daily life, which would inform how and for whom emotional awareness training should be conducted in therapeutic settings. The goal of the current studies was to examine associations among facets of emotional awareness and repetitive thinking (i.e., rumination, worry, and reflection), emotion regulation, and coping in daily life. We conducted two 7-day daily diary studies (n = 172 in Study 1, n = 211 in Study 2) measuring daily experiences of repetitive negative thinking, emotion regulation efforts, and coping. Multilevel models showed that trait levels of emotional clarity were negatively associated, at the between-person level, with daily levels of repetitive negative thinking and positively associated with active coping. Additionally, daily levels of emotional clarity were associated, at the within-person level, with worrying and active coping, whereas daily levels of attention to emotions were associated, at the within-person level, with reflection. Theoretical and clinical implications for emotional awareness, particularly emotional clarity, are discussed.

Unpleasant meditation-related experiences in regular meditators: Prevalence, predictors, and conceptual considerations.

So far, the large and expanding body of research on meditation has mostly focussed on the putative benefits of meditation on health and well-being. However, a growing number of reports indicate that psychologically unpleasant experiences can occur in the context of meditation practice. Very little is known about the prevalence and potential causes of these experiences. The aim of this study was to report the prevalence of particularly unpleasant meditation-related experiences in a large international sample of regular meditators, and to explore the association of these experiences with demographic characteristics, meditation practice, repetitive negative thinking, mindfulness, and self-compassion. Using a cross-sectional online survey, 1,232 regular meditators with at least two months of meditation experience (mean age = 44.8 years ± 13.8, 53.6% female) responded to one question about particularly unpleasant meditation-related experiences. A total of 315 participants (25.6%, 95% CI: 23.1 to 28.0) reported having had particularly unpleasant meditation-related experiences, which they thought may have been caused by their meditation practice. Logistic regression models indicated that unpleasant meditation-related experiences were less likely to occur in female participants and religious participants. Participants with higher levels of repetitive negative thinking, those who only engaged in deconstructive types of meditation (e.g., vipassana/insight meditation), and those who had attended a meditation retreat at any point in their life were more likely to report unpleasant meditation-related experiences. The high prevalence of particularly unpleasant meditation-related experiences reported here points to the importance of expanding the scientific conception of meditation beyond that of a (mental) health-promoting and self-regulating technique. We propose that understanding when these experiences are constitutive elements of meditative practice rather than merely negative effects could advance the field and, to that end, we conclude with an overview of methodological and conceptual considerations that could be used to inform future research.

Repetitive negative thinking predicts eating disorder behaviors: A pilot ecological momentary assessment study in a treatment seeking eating disorder sample

BackgroundRepetitive negative thinking is a transdiagnostic process that occurs across several psychological disorders, including eating disorders. Individuals with eating disorders have higher levels of repetitive negative thinking than controls, and repetitive negative thinking is associated with eating disorder behaviors. However, no study has measured how momentary repetitive negative thinking may subsequently impact daily eating disorder behaviors and vice-versa. MethodIn the current study (N = 66, recently treated individuals recruited from an eating disorder treatment center), we examined the relationship between repetitive negative thinking and subsequent eating disorder behaviors and vice-versa using ecological momentary assessment. ResultsWe found that higher momentary repetitive negative thinking predicted higher subsequent weighing and body checking. We also found that higher momentary meal-specific repetitive negative thinking predicted higher subsequent weighing and lower subsequent compensatory behavior. We also found that higher repetitive negative thinking predicted higher eating disorder symptoms at one-month follow-up. ConclusionThere are short-term and long-term negative effects of repetitive negative thinking in the eating disorders. Targeting repetitive negative thinking may be important for decreasing eating disorder behaviors.

Prevention of anxiety disorders and depression by targeting excessive worry and rumination in adolescents and young adults: A randomized controlled trial

BackgroundThis randomized controlled trial evaluated the efficacy of a preventive intervention for anxiety disorders and depression by targeting excessive levels of repetitive negative thinking (RNT; worry and rumination) in adolescents and young adults. MethodsParticipants (N = 251, 83.7% female) showing elevated levels of RNT were randomly allocated to a 6-week cognitive-behavioral training delivered in a group, via the internet, or to a waitlist control condition. Self-report measures were collected at pre-intervention, post-intervention, 3 m and 12 m follow-up. ResultsBoth versions of the preventive intervention significantly reduced RNT (d = 0.53 to 0.89), and symptom levels of anxiety and depression (d = 0.36 to 0.72). Effects were maintained until 12 m follow-up. The interventions resulted in a significantly lower 12 m prevalence rate of depression (group intervention: 15.3%, internet intervention: 14.7%) and generalized anxiety disorder (group intervention: 18.0%, internet intervention: 16.0%), compared to the waitlist (32.4% and 42.2%, respectively). Mediation analyses demonstrated that reductions in RNT mediated the effect of the interventions on the prevalence of depression and generalized anxiety disorder. ConclusionsResults provide evidence for the efficacy of this preventive intervention targeting RNT and support a selective prevention approach that specifically targets a known risk factor to prevent multiple disorders.

Repetitive Negative Thinking and Impaired Mother–Infant Bonding: A Longitudinal Study

Recent theoretical models suggest that repetitive negative thinking might be a key mechanism explaining the negative effects of maternal psychopathology on mother–infant relations. While an emerging body of research largely supports this idea, the relative importance of differences in the trajectory of repetitive negative thinking during and after pregnancy for mother–infant bonding as well as maternal depressive symptoms is currently unknown. Therefore, we investigated associations between the course of maternal repetitive negative thinking during pregnancy and after birth and mother–infant-bonding and maternal depressive symptoms in a longitudinal study. The overall level of repetitive negative thinking was a significant predictor of mother–infant bonding, maternal anxiety and rejection in dealing with her infant four months after birth. Furthermore, differences in the trajectory of repetitive negative thinking predicted bonding, but not anxiety or rejection. The overall levels of repetitive negative thinking as well as the differences in the trajectory of repetitive negative thinking were significant predictors of maternal depressive symptoms. These findings indicate that changes of repetitive negative thinking during and after pregnancy can increase the risk of postpartum depressive symptoms.

Correlates of sleep difficulties in young adults: A gender comparison

IntroductionSleep disturbance is one of the most common health complaints among late adolescents and young adults. Women report more sleep-related complaints than men (Krishnan and Collop, 2006) and more anxiety or depressive symptoms (Voderholzer et al., 2003). Higher levels of repetitive negative thinking appear to be causally involved in the initiation/maintenance of emotional problems (Ehring and Watkins, 2008).AimsTo analyze the sleep difficulties differences by gender and its associations with stress, cognitive emotion regulation, perseverative thinking and negative affect.MethodsFive hundred and forty-nine students (80.1% females) from two Universities filled in the PSS-10 (Cohen et al., 1983; Amaral et al., 2014), CERQ (Garnefski et al., 2001; Castro et al., 2013), PTQ (Ehring et al., 2011; Chaves et al., 2013) and POMS-58 (McNair et al., 1971; Azevedo et al., 1991; Amaral et al., 2013). Three questions were used to access difficulties of initiating sleep (DIS), maintaining sleep (DMS) and early morning wakening (EMA).ResultsFemales reported more sleep difficulties (excluding DIS), stress, perseverative thinking than males. Males reported higher levels in self-blame and blaming-others dimensions. In female sample we found significant correlations between all sleep difficulties and stress, perseverative thinking, emotional regulation (rumination, self-blame, catastrophizing) and negative affect. In male sample only the difficulties of initiating sleep are correlated with stress, perseverative thinking, self-blame and negative affect.ConclusionsThere are no gender differences in frequency and most of correlates of DIS. DMS and EMA were higher in females and were related to perseverative thinking and emotional regulation mechanisms in this sample.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Stress, Perseverative Negative Thinking, and Sleep in University Students

Introduction The perception of stress does not automatically lead to prolonged activation. The cognitive representations of stressors need to be prolonged in order to extend their physiological concomitants (Brosschot, Gerin, & Trayer, 2006). It is shown that elevated levels of repetitive negative thinking appear to be causally involved in the maintenance of emotional problems (Ehring & Watkins, 2008). Aims To analyze the associations between Perceived Stress (PS), Perseverative NegativeThinking (PNT) and Sleep difficulties. Methods 549 students from two Portuguese Universities filled in the Portuguese version of Perceived Stress Scale (Cohen et al., 1983; Amaral et al., 2014), PerseverativeThinking Questionnaire (Ehring et al., 2011; Chaves et al., 2013), and three questions were used to access sleep difficulties (initiating sleep, sleepmaintenance, and early morning awakening). Results In the present sample the prevalence on difficulty initiating sleep was 29,8%, of maintaining sleep was 27,9% and of early morning awakening was 30,9%. The strongest correlations were observed between PS and PNT (from r=.338 to r=.520; p Conclusions The PS was strongly associated with PNT and both of these variables were associated with sleep difficulties (particularly initiating and maintaining sleep).

Duration and Timing of Sleep are Associated with Repetitive Negative Thinking

Higher levels of repetitive negative thinking (RNT; a perseverative and abstract focus on negative aspects of one’s experience) are associated with reduced sleep duration. This information is already informing theory and clinical practice. However, we are not aware of any studies examining the relation between RNT and the timing of sleep. We examined both disorder specific measures of RNT and a transdiagnostic measure of the RNT process in relation to sleep duration and timing in a sample of 100 unselected undergraduates. Replicating prior findings, shorter sleep duration was cross-sectionally associated with more rumination and delayed sleep timing was associated with more obsessive–compulsive symptoms. Further, extending this prior work, the transdiagnostic measure of RNT was associated with shorter sleep duration and delayed sleep timing. Individuals who endorsed a preference for later sleep and activity times also reported more RNT. These findings suggest that RNT may be uniquely related to both sleep duration and timing.

Repetitive Negative Thinking as a Transdiagnostic Process

The current paper provides an updated review of repetitive negative thinking as a transdiagnostic process. It is shown that elevated levels of repetitive negative thinking are present across a large range of Axis I disorders and appear to be causally involved in the maintenance of emotional problems. As direct comparisons of repetitive negative thinking between different disorders (e.g., GAD–type worry and depressive rumination) have generally revealed more similarities than differences, it is argued that repetitive negative thinking is characterized by the same process across disorders, which is applied to a disorder–specific content. On the other hand, there is some evidence that—within given disorders—repetitive negative thinking can be reliably distinguished from other forms of recurrent cognitions, such as obsessions, intrusive memories or functional forms of repeated thinking. An agenda for future research on repetitive negative thinking from a transdiagnostic perspective is presented.