Ruminative Thinking Research Articles

Expressions of customer rumination in online posts and firm responses

AbstractWhen faced with service failures, customers tend to ruminate, i.e., engage in repetitive negative thoughts about service failures and their causes/consequences. Some customers express these ruminative thoughts in online posts, making the internal cognitive process of rumination publicly visible to prospective customers who read the posts. This research proposes a novel conceptualization and operationalization of customer expressions of rumination as the repetitive use of words related to (a) service failure aspects and (b) service failure causes/consequences. Across two field studies, one survey, and two experiments, this research demonstrates that rumination expressions in online posts about service failures are linked to lower sales, weaker prospective customers’ purchase intention, and more “likes” of the post. Responses expressing empathetic apologies are more effective in handling rumination expressions about service failure aspects, whereas responses mentioning compensation are more effective in handling rumination expressions about service failure causes/consequences. We urge managers to recognize the visibility and harmfulness of rumination expressions in digital outlets and provide solutions to minimize their damage.

Ruminative thinking mediates the effects of exposure to adverse life events on psychotic-like experiences

Introduction:A growing literature has shown that exposure to adverse life events during childhood or adolescence is associated with the presence of psychotic-like experiences (PLEs), which is in turn associated with the risk of psychotic outcomes. Ruminative thinking, i.e., the tendency to dwell on particular issues or ideas, may affect the perceived aversiveness and ability to cope with adverse life events. However, the role that rumination plays in the relationship between adverse life events and the presence of PLEs remains unclear. The purpose of this study is to assess the association between adverse life events and PLEs in a longitudinal sample of young adults and adolescents, and to investigate whether this relationship is mediated by ruminative thinking.MethodsWe used a longitudinal naturalistic sample of 706 volunteers assessed at ages 18 and 22 years, within the Imagen consortium. Lifetime occurrence of adverse life events (i.e., events perceived as strongly negative by participants) was investigated using the Life Events Questionnaire. The Community Assessment of Psychic Experience (CAPE-42) served to assess the presence of PLEs, while ruminative thinking was investigated through the Ruminative Response Scale.ResultsResults showed that both frequency of PLEs and their persistence over time were associated with greater adverse life events exposure (r = 0.32, p < 0.001 and F1 = 9.8; p < 0.001, respectively) and greater ruminative response (r = 0.66, p < 0.001 and F1 = 94.9; p < 0.001, respectively). Mediation analyses showed that relationship between adverse life events and PLEs frequency was partially mediated by rumination (direct effect Z: 5.4, p < 0.001; indirect effect Z: 6.9, p < 0.001; total effect Z: 5.9, p < 0.001). Considering changes between the two assessment timepoints, relationship between PLEs variation between 18 and 22 years and adverse life events occurred during the same period was partially mediated by changes in rumination (direct effect Z: 2.8, p < 0.005; indirect effect Z: 4.3, p < 0.001; total effect Z: 4.3; p < 0.001).DiscussionOverall, our findings confirm that the presence of adverse life events may increase the risk of experiencing PLEs in healthy individuals and suggest that dysfunctional coping strategies, such as ruminative thinking, may be related to psychosis proneness. Results do not disentangle whether individuals with greater risk for psychosis tend to ruminate more or whether rumination exacerbates psychosis risk.

Psychotic-like Experiences and Underlying Mechanisms: An Integrative Model of ADHD Symptoms, Rumination, Negative Affect, and Trauma Experience

Background: Psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) are low-intensity subclinical phenomena, often transient in nature. The etiology of PLEs primarily involves neurodevelopmental changes, trauma exposure, and maladaptive coping styles. Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is considered to be one of the factors that increase the risk of future psychosis. Furthermore, ADHD symptoms predict a heightened incidence of traumatic experiences, ruminative thoughts, and negative affect (NA). This present study examines whether rumination and NA mediate the relationship between ADHD symptoms and PLEs and whether trauma experiences moderate these pathways. Methods: A total of 188 participants (72% female) aged 18–35 completed questionnaires assessing ADHD symptoms and traumatic experiences and took part in a seven-day experience sampling method (ESM) procedure, completing ratings of PLEs experiences, the intensity of ruminations, and NA. Results: Correlation analysis showed significant relationships between all tested variables. Serial mediation analysis revealed a significant indirect effect of rumination and NA in the link between ADHD symptoms and PLEs. There was no significant impact of trauma experience in this relationship. Conclusions: Our study underscores the important role of rumination and NA in the co-development of ADHD symptoms and PLEs. Future research should consider investigating the intra-individual dynamics of ADHD and trauma using ecologically valid research methods in the context of PLEs to better understand these complex relationships.

Need Frustration and E-Cigarette Use and Dependence Among College Students: The Mediating Role of Ruminative Thinking

Background: The prevalence and dependence of e-cigarettes have increased among young adult college students in recent years. Though several independent risk factors for e-cigarette use and dependence have been identified, research employing theory-informed models to predict e-cigarette use and dependence is limited. Objectives: Using Self Determination Theory (SDT), e-cigarette use and dependence may be understood as stemming from need frustration that impairs autonomy, competence, and relatedness, which increases vulnerability for negative health outcomes, including e-cigarette use. Further, need frustration may relate to more e-cigarette use and dependence via higher ruminative thinking, which is known to relate to both need frustration and tobacco use. Method: This study tested this path model (i.e., SDT need frustration components [autonomy, relatedness, competency]→rumination facets [problem-focused thoughts, counterfactual thinking, repetitive thinking, anticipatory thoughts]→e-cigarette use frequency and dependence outcomes) among 1001 college students (75.3% female; 60.4% White, non-Hispanic; 52% first-year students) who endorsed past-month e-cigarette use. Results: Within our path model, we found significant indirect effects via problem-focused thoughts on e-cigarette use frequency and e-cigarette dependence. Specifically, higher scores on SDT autonomy, competence, and relatedness frustration were associated with greater problem-focused thoughts, which was associated with higher e-cigarette use frequency and e-cigarette dependence scores. Conclusions/Importance: Results highlight the importance of distinguishing between the unique facets of rumination in understanding relations with e-cigarette use. Further intervention research targeting need frustration and ruminative thinking (particularly problem-focused thoughts) among college student e-cigarette-dependent users is needed.

The impact of stress on sleep quality: a mediation analysis based on longitudinal data.

This study evaluates the potential mechanisms through which stress affects sleep quality and examines the mediating roles of rumination, social anxiety, emotion-focused coping strategies, and smartphone dependence in the relationship between stress and sleep quality. From October 2023 to April 2024, we conducted three surveys with 426 university students and utilized structural equation modeling to explore the mechanisms by which stress impacts sleep quality. Stress not only significantly predicts sleep quality but also significantly affects sleep quality through rumination, emotion-focused coping strategies, and smartphone dependence as independent mediators. Additionally, stress influences sleep quality through both dual-mediation and triple-mediation paths. Stress has a significant direct and indirect impact on sleep quality. This study reveals the complex mechanisms through which stress affects sleep quality. Improving individuals' sleep quality requires not only considering the influence of real-life stressors but also examining the intersecting effects between stress and factors such as ruminative thinking, social anxiety, smartphone dependency, and emotion-focused coping strategies. The intense social competition in Chinese society exacerbates the decline in sleep quality, highlighting the need for the government to implement more policies aimed at maintaining the physical and mental health of the population to alleviate the increasingly severe sleep issues and mental health crisis.

Depression, anxiety, and stress in the Chilean Educational System: children and adolescents post-pandemic prevalence and variables

The mental health of children and adolescents in the Chilean Educational System (ChES) has become a severe post-pandemic public health problem. This cross-sectional study, which included 1,174 children and adolescents from five Chilean regions, used the DASS-21 scale, focusing on determining the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress, as well as identifying associated risk factors. The results exposed a high prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress (60.2%, 63.6%, and 50.2%, respectively). Risk factors for depression involve being female, having separated parents, being in high school, having a cell phone, difficulty sleeping, ruminative thoughts, and low self-esteem. For anxiety, factors included being female, being 12 years old, owning a cell phone, having sleep problems, having ruminations, having low self-esteem, and being an atheist. For stress, factors were identified as being female, owning a cell phone, sleep problems, ruminations, low self-esteem, being atheist, as well as extensive use of social networks. The research underscores the urgent need for intervention by educational authorities, given the marked deterioration in the mental health of children and adolescent students in the ChES, to prevent long-term consequences.

The Effectiveness of a Digital Mental Fitness Program (Positive Intelligence) on Perceived Stress, Self-Compassion, and Ruminative Thinking of Occupational Therapy Undergraduate Students: Longitudinal Study.

Health care students often endure numerous stressors throughout their undergraduate education that can have lasting negative effects on their mental well-being. Positive Intelligence (PQ) is a digital mental fitness program designed to enhance self-mastery and help individuals reach their potential by strengthening various "mental muscles." This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a 6-week app-delivered PQ program in reducing perceived stress, increasing self-compassion, and decreasing rumination tendencies among health care undergraduates. We hypothesized that students would show reductions in perceived stress, increases in self-compassion, and decreases in rumination tendencies by the end of the PQ program, compared with their preprogram scores. We adopted an exploratory approach for the 5-month follow-up due to the limited research consensus on the sustained effects of app-based programs over varying periods. The PQ program includes weekly hour-long videos, weekly group meetings, and daily 15-minute app-guided practices. Participants were first-year students from the occupational therapy program at a university in Singapore. Participants completed surveys measuring self-compassion, perceived stress, and rumination levels before and after the PQ program, and again at a 5-month follow-up. Data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA to assess differences across the pretest, immediate posttest, and follow-up posttest. Out of 87 students enrolled in the study, the final sample consisted of 64 students (n=47, 73%, female; mean age 23 years, SD 5.06 years) with complete data. At the end of the 6 weeks, students exhibited significant increases in self-compassion (before the intervention: mean 3.07, SD 0.35; after the intervention: mean 3.34, SD 0.35; P<.001) and reductions in rumination tendencies (before the intervention: mean 3.57, SD 0.40; after the intervention: mean 3.27, SD 0.34; P<.001). However, no significant change in perceived stress levels was observed (before the intervention: 2.99, SD 0.14; after the intervention: mean 2.97, SD 0.16; P=.50). These effects were not influenced by the daily app-based practice of PQ exercises, and there were no sustained effects on self-compassion (mean 3.17, SD 0.27; P=.09) or rumination tendencies (mean 3.42, SD 0.38; P=.06) at the 5-month follow-up. Additionally, there was a significant increase in perceived stress at follow-up (mean 3.17, SD 0.21; P<.001) compared with pre- and postintervention levels. The PQ program did not directly alter stress perceptions but may have reframed students' automatic negative thought processes, increased their awareness of self-sabotaging behaviors, and enhanced their self-compassion while reducing ruminative thinking. These findings highlight the importance of self-awareness for students' well-being. Students can benefit from practices such as mindfulness and peer discussions to enhance self-compassion and reduce rumination. Educators trained in the PQ program can foster a supportive environment that encourages self-compassion, challenges negative self-talk, and helps students manage stress.

Work-related stress and sleep quality—the mediating role of rumination: a longitudinal analysis

Abstract Objective This study investigates the mediating role of rumination in the relationship between work-related stress and sleep quality. Sleep quality is a critical component of mental health and wellbeing. Work-related stress is a potential risk factor for poor sleep quality, and this research focuses on how the constructs of rumination—affective rumination, detachment, and problem-solving rumination—may mediate this association. Methods Data from the Dresden Burnout Study were analyzed cross-sectionally and longitudinally over three timepoints. The sample included 360 full- and parttime employees. Work-related stress was assessed using the effort–reward Imbalance Questionnaire, sleep quality using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and rumination using the Work-Related Rumination Questionnaire. Results The study found that work-related stress was positively correlated with reduced sleep quality, both cross-sectionally and longitudinally. In addition, work-related stress predicted increased levels of affective rumination and detachment but not of problem-solving rumination. Affective rumination and detachment partially mediated the relationship between work-related stress and sleep quality, suggesting that individuals who experience higher levels of work-related stress are more likely to engage in ruminative thoughts about their work experiences, which, in turn, leads to reduced sleep quality. Conclusion These findings highlight the importance of considering cognitive processes such as rumination when addressing sleep disturbance related to work stress. Future research should include objective measures of sleep quality and consider shorter intervals to capture immediate changes in stress and sleep patterns. By addressing these factors, healthcare professionals can better support those suffering from sleep disturbance due to work-related stress. Ultimately, this may have a positive impact on their overall wellbeing and productivity at work.

CN69 The effect of an empowerment program on ruminative thoughts, fatigue and psychological resilience of cancer survivors: A randomized controlled trial

CN69 The effect of an empowerment program on ruminative thoughts, fatigue and psychological resilience of cancer survivors: A randomized controlled trial

The Association between Ruminative Thoughts and Mindfulness among Patients with Major Depressive Disorder: A Cross-sectional Study

The Association between Ruminative Thoughts and Mindfulness among Patients with Major Depressive Disorder: A Cross-sectional Study

Mediators of a Mindfulness-Based Intervention for Younger Breast Cancer Survivors: Effects on Depressive Symptoms.

Depression is associated with poor outcomes in breast cancer patients, with higher prevalence among younger women. Although mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have demonstrated therapeutic effects, the mechanisms of intervention effects are poorly understood. We investigated whether rumination, self-kindness, intrusive thoughts about cancer, cancer-related worry, or a sense of meaning and peace mediated the intervention effects of an MBI, Mindful Awareness Practices (MAPs), on depressive symptoms. Additionally, we explored the same variables as mediators of a psychoeducation program, Survivorship Education (SE). Women diagnosed with stage 0-III breast cancer at age <50 years were randomized to 6 weeks of MAPs ( n = 85), SE ( n = 81), or wait-list control (WLC; n = 81). During preintervention, postintervention, and 6-month follow-up (FU), we assessed depressive symptoms, rumination, self-kindness, intrusive thoughts, worry, and meaning and peace. MAPs and SE significantly reduced depressive symptoms at postintervention, and reductions remained through 6-month FU for MAPs. Models revealed that reductions in rumination ( β = -0.68, 95% confidence interval [CI] = -1.64 to -0.07) and intrusive thoughts ( β = 1.17, 95% CI = -2.17 to -0.37) and improvements in self-kindness ( β = -1.09, 95% CI = -2.37 to -0.28) and meaning and peace ( β = -1.09, 95% CI = -3.16 to -0.56) mediated MAPs' effects at all time points. Reductions in worry ( β = -1.34, 95% CI = -2.47 to -0.45]) mediated effects at postintervention only. Worry and intrusive thoughts mediated SE effects at postintervention and 6-month FU, respectively. Findings identified depression-relevant mediators of MAPs' effects, expanding the understanding of MBI mechanisms. Results highlight pathways that could be leveraged to optimize intervention outcomes. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03025139 .

Rumination in dementia and its relationship with depression, anxiety, and attentional biases

ABSTRACT Rumination (self-referential and repetitive thinking), attentional biases (AB), and impaired cognitive control are theorized as being integral factors in depression and anxiety. Yet, research examining the relationship between rumination, mood, and AB for populations with reduced cognitive control, e.g., people living with dementia (PwD), is lacking. To explore whether literature-based relationships are demonstrated in dementia, PwD (n = 64) and healthy controls (HC) (n = 75) completed an online self-report survey measuring rumination and mood (twice), and a telephone cognitive status interview (once). Rumination was measured as an emotion-regulation style, thinking style, and response to depression. We examined the test-retest reliability of PwD’s (n = 50) ruminative-scale responses, ruminative-scale internal consistency, and correlations between rumination, age, cognitive ability, and mood scores. Also, nine participants (PwD = 6, HC = 3) completed an AB measure via eye-tracking. Participants fixated on a cross, naturally viewed pairs of facial images conveying sad, angry, happy, and neutral emotions, and then fixated on a dot. Exploratory analyses of emotional-face dwell-times versus rumination and mood scores were conducted. Except for the HC group’s reflective response to depression measure, rumination measures were reliable, and correlation strengths between rumination and mood scores (.29 to .79) were in line with literature for both groups. For the AB measure subgroup, ruminative thinking style scores and angry-face metrics were negatively correlated. The results of this study show that literature-based relationships between rumination, depression, and anxiety are demonstrated in dementia, but the relationship between rumination and AB requires further investigation.

Exploring the Personality Characteristics of Rhinoplasty Patients: Perfectionism, Rumination, and Self-Compassion.

This study investigates differences in personality characteristics, including perfectionism, ruminative thinking style, and self-compassion, between individuals who have undergone rhinoplasty and a control group without any history of cosmetic surgery. The study included 33 adult patients who underwent rhinoplasty between 2021 and 2023 at Bursa Uludağ University Faculty of Medicine Hospital and 33 adult patients who visited our centre for other complaints as a control group. The rhinoplasty group consisted of primary surgical patients with functional and cosmetic concerns, excluding those who sought revision surgery or had only functional problems. The control group consisted of individuals with no prior cosmetic surgery history and no expectations of aesthetic interventions. Psychiatric analysis was performed using Frost multidimensional perfectionism scale, ruminative thinking style questionnaire, and self-compassion scale. This research revealed that individuals who had rhinoplasty scored higher in perfectionism 109.3 (±23.3) and ruminative thinking 87.9 (±22) compared to those who did not undergo surgery 94.15 (±22.2) and 77.7 (±23), respectively. Additionally, the rhinoplasty group had lower self-compassion scores, 80.4 (±17.3), than the control group, 86.1 (±11.2). Statistically significant differences were observed in perfectionism between the groups (p = 0.009). In rhinoplasty patients, a notably positive correlation was found between perfectionism and ruminative thinking scores (r = 0.482; p = 0.005), while a moderately significant negative correlation was observed between self-compassion and ruminative thinking scores (r = - 0.465; p = 0.006). Individuals who undergo rhinoplasty generally show increased levels of perfectionism and are more prone to ruminative thinking. They also demonstrate reduced self-compassion compared to non-surgical control groups. Cosmetic surgeons should be aware of these psychological trends and consider using appropriate scales during pre-surgery consultations and follow-up visits. Adopting this informed approach can improve the surgeon-patient relationship and help overcome communication challenges. This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

The Relationship between Metacognition, Rumination, and Sleep in University Students with a Tendency toward Generalized Anxiety Disorder.

People with generalized anxiety disorder tend to have sleep problems, and studies have found correlations between metacognition, rumination, and sleep, but it is unclear how metacognition and rumination work in people with a tendency towards generalized anxiety disorder. The goal of this paper is to investigate the correlation between metacognition, rumination, and sleep in university students with a tendency towards generalized anxiety disorder, and the mediating role of rumination in the effect of metacognition on sleep. The Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7), the Meta-Cognition Questionnaire (MCQ-30), the Ruminative Responses Scale (RRS), and the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) were used to investigate and psychometrically measure 566 university students in Anyang Normal College. The results of correlation analysis showed significant positive correlations between metacognition and sleep, ruminative thinking and sleep, and metacognition and rumination in university students with a tendency towards generalized anxiety disorder. Mediation analysis showed that rumination partially mediated the effect of metacognition on sleep, with the mediating effect accounting for 51.1% of the total effect. There is a strong correlation between metacognition, rumination, and sleep in university students with a tendency towards generalized anxiety disorder, and both metacognition and rumination can predict sleep, while metacognition can affect sleep through the mediating effect of rumination.

Validation of the Hogg Climate Anxiety Scale

As one of the biggest environmental and equality challenges of our time, climate change is causing some people to experience climate anxiety. To address the need for valid and reliable measurement of this construct, we adapted the Hogg Eco-Anxiety Scale to measure climate anxiety in the United Kingdom (n = 501) and United States (n = 508). In both samples, we found the Hogg Climate Anxiety Scale (HCAS) was comprised of four dimensions: affective symptoms, behavioural symptoms, ruminative thoughts, and anxiety about one’s personal impact. The four-factor HCAS fit the data well, showed measurement invariance in these two samples, and all dimensions were internally consistent. Importantly, we also provide evidence for convergent validity by demonstrating that HCAS scores were positively correlated with an alternative measure of eco-anxiety and a more general indicator of worry in one’s daily life. The dimensions of the HCAS also showed distinct associations with theoretically related constructs, for example only personal impact anxiety and rumination were significant predictors of taking collective action on climate change, and personal impact anxiety was distinctly predictive of climate inequality beliefs. We recommend the HCAS as a brief (13 item) measurement tool to capture experiences of climate anxiety.

Rumination and Forgiveness in Emerging Adults: Mediating Role of Mindfulness and Humility.

The objective of this study was to examine whether mindfulness and humility mediate the influence of rumination on forgiveness among emerging adults. The sample consisted of 392 individuals in the emerging adulthood stage, residing in Türkiye, with 69.10% females and 30.90% males, aged between 18 and 25years (M = 20.19, SD = 1.77). Data were collected through a demographic information form and four self-report scales. In addition to descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation coefficient and bootstrap analysis were employed for data analysis. According to the study's findings, it can be inferred that ruminative thoughts among emerging adults hinder their ability to forgive. Furthermore, the study revealed that mindfulness and humility serve as mediators in the relationship between ruminative thoughts and forgiveness in emerging adults. In this context, it can be concluded that leveraging the positive effects of mindfulness and humility can mitigate the adverse impact of rumination on forgiveness among emerging adults, thus enhancing their inclination towards forgiveness.

“Yes, I'm worth it!”: How romantic breakups influence self‐gifting propensity

AbstractWhen do consumers indulge in self‐gifting? While extant research predominantly explores self‐gifting as a coping mechanism in postchallenging phases, this research suggests an additional dimension: self‐gifting as a form of self‐reward. Drawing from the idea of stress‐related growth, this paper focuses on consumer behavior following a romantic breakup, investigating self‐gifting as a reward mechanism. Results from five studies consistently demonstrate that the severity of a breakup significant influences consumers' self‐gifting propensity in both intrinsic‐ and extrinsic‐rewarding consumption, driven by their heightened perceived deservingness. These effects are attenuated when individuals engage in ruminative thoughts about their tumultuous (vs. harmonious) breakups. These findings explain the nuances of self‐gifting behavior following a romantic breakup by establishing a theoretical link between personal failures (e.g., romantic breakups) and a sense of deservingness, which influences consumer's self‐gifting propensity as a self‐reward.

Multiple paths to rumination within a network analytical framework

Theories of rumination have proposed different psychological factors to place one at risk for repetitive negative thinking. A comprehensive empirical test that captures the most relevant contributors to rumination is lacking. Building on influential self-regulatory and metacognitive frameworks, we modeled how key constructs in this context relate to ruminative thinking. 498 participants completed online questionnaires including indicators of rumination, metacognition, promotion goal orientation, effortful control, and depression. We estimated regularized partial correlation networks to investigate unique associations between the different constructs and followed these analyses up with directed acyclic graphs to identify potential pathways towards rumination. Results demonstrated that: (1) both self-regulatory and metacognitive factors were directly linked to rumination, amongst these were (2) positive beliefs, negative beliefs about uncontrollability and harm, cognitive self-consciousness, depression, effortful control, perfectionism, and (lack of) cognitive confidence, and (3) we identified multiple directed pathways, suggesting three direct contributors to rumination while controlling for the influence of all other variables: diminished effortful control, positive beliefs, and cognitive self-consciousness. This study is the first to comprehensively assess metacognitive and self-regulatory frameworks of rumination in a data-driven manner. Our findings suggest that there are multiple pathways towards rumination, which should be incorporated in clinical case conceptualization of rumination and related disorders.

Panic-agoraphobic symptoms in adults with ASD: the role of ruminative thinking and inflexibility.

Scientific literature has highlighted the link between autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and anxiety disorders, but few studies have delved into the relationship between ASD and panic-agoraphobic disorders. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between autism spectrum and panic-agoraphobic symptoms, examining whether and which autistic domains are predictive of the presence of specific panic-agoraphobic symptoms. Forty-five adult subjects with ASD and 50 healthy controls (HCs) were evaluated through the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5, Research Version and assessed with the Adult Autism Subthreshold Spectrum (AdAS Spectrum) and the Panic-Agoraphobic - Short Version (PAS-SV) questionnaires. Statistical analyses included Mann-Whitney U test, chi-square test, and a set of linear and logistic regression analyses. The PAS-SV total and domain scores were significantly higher in the ASD group than in the HC group. A higher AdAS total score appeared to be predictive of a higher PAS-SV total score. The AdAS domain Restricted Interests and Rumination would increase the risk of obtaining higher PAS-SV total and domain scores. Conversely, the AdAS Spectrum domain Inflexibility and Adherence to Routine would predict lower total PAS-SV score. This study revealed a greater representation of panic-agoraphobic symptoms in adults with ASD, as well as an increased risk of showing such symptoms in the presence of significant autistic traits. Restricted interests and ruminative thinking emerged as predominant risk factors for panic-agoraphobic manifestations.

Brooding, Reflection, and Anger Rumination Relate to Suicidal Ideation through the Role of Thought Control

Despite the far-reaching impact of suicide on our communities, suicide prevention has historically focused on distally related risk factors for suicidality, which gives us an incomplete picture of how someone comes to make a suicide attempt. Instead, our focus needs to extend to research that explains the maintenance and progression from an emotional state to a suicidal crisis. One such factor, rumination, may create or worsen suicidal thinking by amplifying the distress associated with negative thoughts. Ruminative thoughts are often described as difficult to control, and people may think about suicide as an escape from these uncontrollable thoughts. The current study examined the relationship between severity of lifetime suicidal thinking and certain forms of rumination (i.e., brooding, reflection, anger rumination, and suicidal rumination) in a sample of 145 undergraduate students with suicidal thoughts. For each form of rumination that was related to suicidal thinking, we then examined whether that relationship was accounted for by perceived uncontrollability of one’s own thoughts. We found that all forms of rumination were related to severity of lifetime suicidal thinking, as well as heightened perceived inability to control one’s own thoughts. This thought control inability helped account for the relationships between brooding, reflection, and anger rumination with severity of suicidal thinking, but did not play a role in the relationship between suicidal rumination and suicidal ideation severity. Clinicians should be aware of the impact ruminative thoughts may have on suicidal thinking. More research needs to be done to replicate and extend these effects.