The effects of rumination on mood and intrusive memories after exposure to traumatic material: An experimental study

Abstract

Correlational studies have shown that trauma-related rumination predicts chronic post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This study aimed to experimentally test the hypothesis that rumination is causally involved in the development and maintenance of PTSD symptoms. A video depicting the aftermath of serious road traffic accidents was used as an analogue stressor. After having watched the video, N = 101 healthy participants were randomly assigned to a guided thinking task designed to induce (a) rumination, (b) memory integration and (c) distraction. In line with the hypotheses, rumination led to less recovery from sad mood triggered by the video than the other two conditions. In addition, self-reported state levels of rumination during the guided thinking task predicted subsequent intrusive memories in the session. However, no significant main effect of the experimental manipulation on intrusive memories of the video was found. Results of exploratory analyses suggested possible sex differences in the way the processing manipulations were effective. Taken together, the results partially support the hypothesis that rumination is involved in the maintenance of negative mood and post-traumatic stress symptoms.

Psychometric properties of the Repetitive Thinking Questionnaire in a clinical sample

“…First, the sample size of those with principal depression and posttraumatic stress disorder was small, which limits the generalizability of our findings to these groups. This is particularly salient because previous research has demonstrated causal links between RNT and symptoms of depression and PTSD (Park et al, 2004;Zetsche et al, 2009). Second, the RTQ indexes repetitive thought following a distressing event.…”

“…Importantly, experimental studies have found causal relationships between RNT and symptoms of emotional disorders. For example, experimentally induced rumination has been shown to exacerbate depressed mood Park, Goodyer, & Teasdale, 2004) and PTSD symptoms (Ehring, Fuchs, & Klasserner, 2009;Zetsche, Ehring, & Ehlers, 2009), as well as maintain symptoms of social phobia and anxiety (Wong & Moulds, 2009) and other negative mood states (e.g., anger; Blagden & Craske, 1996). Also, inducing worry has been shown to increase anxiety, depression, and negative affect, while reducing positive affect (McLaughlin, Borkovec, & Sibrava, 2007).…”

Trait rumination predicts onset of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder through trauma-related cognitive appraisals: A 4-year longitudinal study

“…Lastly, experimental studies have demonstrated that the induction of rumination about a traumatic film or real-life stressor results in significantly more analogue PTSD symptoms and/or a significantly slower recovery from the stressor than control conditions (Ehring, Fuchs, & Klasener, 2009;Zetsche, Ehring, & Ehlers, 2009). Worry, defined as "an attempt to engage in mental problemsolving on an issue whose outcome is uncertain but contains the possibility of one or more negative outcomes …" (Borkovec, Robinson, Pruzinsky, & DePree, 1983), constitutes another form of repetitive negative thinking (Watkins, 2008) and has been found to be associated with PTSD symptom severity following different types of traumatic events (Bardeen, Fergus, & Wu, 2013;Bennett, Beck, & Clapp, 2009;Pietrzak, Harpaz-Rotem, & Southwick, 2011;Rosenthal, Cheavens, Lynch, & Follette, 2006;Warda & Bryant, 1998).…”

The prediction of intrusions following an analogue traumatic event: Peritraumatic cognitive processes and anxiety-focused rumination versus rumination in response to intrusions

“…However, this study did not use the distressing film paradigm, which prevents comparability to other research using this design. Zetsche, Ehring, and Ehlers (2009) used the distressing film paradigm and found no effect of rumination on intrusive memories. Thus, it remains unclear if rumination constitutes a pre-existing cognitive vulnerability for the onset of intrusions following an actual or simulated traumatic event.…”