Conscious and unconscious perseverative cognition: Is a large part of prolonged physiological activity due to unconscious stress?

Dimensions of self-selected leisure activities, trait coping and their relationships with sleep quality and depressive symptoms

“…Higher levels of distraction and thinking about negative events were each linked with greater depression for those with higher PCs. The thinking about negative events results is logical as high PC is linked with strong reflections on negative events (Brosschot et al, 2010). The finding that distraction is linked with higher depression at higher PC may suggest that distraction in SSLAs is more of a short-term form of avoidant coping that offers temporary escape from having to deal more directly with daily life events (Zawadzki, Smyth et al, 2013b).…”

“…PCs are defined as chronic tendencies to worry and ruminate about future and past negative events (Brosschot et al, 2010 symptoms and sleep quality, our recent findings suggest that certain personality features may moderate their efficacy. Those with high PC tend to have a greater concurrence of negative personal self-attributes vs. their low PC counterparts, including depressive symptoms (Fernández-Fernández et al, 2014) and more intrusive, negative thoughts about stressors in their lives (Brosschot et al, 2010;Zoccola, Dickerson, & Lam, 2009).…”

“…That is, given our dimensional approach to understanding leisure's effects, some people might differentially respond to these dimensions. Hence, we focus on two potential moderators of the associations between SSLA dimensions and health that vary on their adaptiveness as emotion regulation strategies: perseverative cognitions (Brosschot et al, 2010) and John Henryism active coping (hereafter also referred to as active coping; James, 1994).…”

“…Those with high PC tend to have a greater concurrence of negative personal self-attributes vs. their low PC counterparts, including depressive symptoms (Fernández-Fernández et al, 2014) and more intrusive, negative thoughts about stressors in their lives (Brosschot et al, 2010;Zoccola, Dickerson, & Lam, 2009). As perseveration limits the ability to distract oneself, it is hence likely that optimal engagement in SSLAs is harder for high PC persons.…”

Assessing treatments used to reduce rumination and/or worry: A systematic review

“…This process is labelled 'perseverative cognition' and is defined as: "the repeated or chronic activation of the cognitive representation of one or more psychological stressors" (Brosschot et al, 2006, p.114). Our unique ability as humans means that we can look back and learn from the past, and we can look ahead to plan for the future; however, this may also lead to 'ruminating' about the past, or 'worrying' about the future (Brosschot, Verkuil & Thayer, 2010). While psychological stressors themselves do not involve direct physical danger, they are composed of perceived threats to the physical or psychological integrity of the individual (Broschott et al, 2010).…”