Rumination Mediates the Effects of Childhood Maltreatment and Trait Anxiety on Depression in Non-Clinical Adult Volunteers

Overview

Journal Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat

Publisher Dove Medical Press

Specialty Psychiatry

Date 2021 Dec 1

PMID 34848964

Citations 10

Authors

Ayaka Deguchi

Jiro Masuya

Mayu Naruse

Chihiro Morishita

Motoki Higashiyama

Hajime Tanabe

Takeshi Inoue

Masahiko Ichiki

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Several psychological studies have shown that depressive rumination is associated with the onset and severity of depression. However, it is unclear how rumination interacts with other predisposing factors to cause depression. In this study, we hypothesized that rumination mediates the association between depression and two predisposing factors of depression, ie, childhood maltreatment and trait anxiety.

Subjects And Methods: Between 2017 and 2018, 473 adult volunteers were surveyed using self-report questionnaires regarding the following: demographic information, rumination (Ruminative Responses Scale), trait anxiety (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-Y), and the experience of childhood maltreatment (Child Abuse and Trauma Scale). The effects of these factors on depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9) were analyzed by multiple regression and path analysis to analyze the mediating effects of rumination. This study was conducted with approval from the relevant ethics committee.

Results: Multiple regression analysis using depression as a dependent variable demonstrated that trait anxiety, rumination, childhood maltreatment, and living alone were significantly associated with depression. Path analysis showed that childhood maltreatment had a positive effect on trait anxiety, rumination, and depression; trait anxiety had a positive effect on rumination and depression; and rumination had a positive effect on depression. Regarding indirect effects, the experience of childhood maltreatment increased rumination and depression indirectly via trait anxiety. Furthermore, the experience of childhood maltreatment increased depression indirectly via rumination, and trait anxiety significantly increased depression via rumination. In other words, rumination mediated the indirect effects of abusive experiences and trait anxiety on depression. This model accounted for 50% of the variance in depression in adult volunteers.

Conclusion: Our results suggest that rumination mediates the association between childhood maltreatment, trait anxiety, and depression in adulthood.

Citing Articles

Dyadic examination of rumination and depressive symptoms in Chinese heterogeneous young couples: the differential role of gender.

Liu X, Zhou A, Jin Z, Han Z, Qian J, Wang H Front Psychiatry. 2025; 15:1447040.

PMID: 39906681 PMC: 11790615. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1447040.

Effects of Inappropriate Nurturing Experiences, Depressive Rumination, and Trait Anxiety on Depressive Symptoms.

Usui Y, Ono M, Nibuya R, Kikkawa M, Ito S, Morishita C Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2024; 20:1571-1581.

PMID: 39156034 PMC: 11330240. DOI: 10.2147/NDT.S469417.

Coupled changes between ruminating thoughts and resting-state brain networks during the transition into adulthood.

Marchitelli R, Martinot M, Trouve A, Banaschewski T, Bokde A, Desrivieres S Mol Psychiatry. 2024; 29(12):3769-3778.

PMID: 38956372 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-024-02610-9.

Effects of childhood experiences of parental attitude, depressive rumination, and sleep disturbances on adulthood depressive symptoms.

Akiyama S, Ono M, Ishii Y, Kikkawa M, Ito S, Honyashiki M PCN Rep. 2024; 3(2):e220.

PMID: 38915853 PMC: 11196181. DOI: 10.1002/pcn5.220.

Effects of Peer Victimization in Childhood and Trait Anxiety on Job Stress in Adulthood.

Iwata Y, Ono M, Ishii Y, Ito S, Kikkawa M, Morishita C Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2024; 20:1131-1138.

PMID: 38803820 PMC: 11129736. DOI: 10.2147/NDT.S453055.

References

Huh H, Kim K, Lee H, Chae J . The relationship between childhood trauma and the severity of adulthood depression and anxiety symptoms in a clinical sample: The mediating role of cognitive emotion regulation strategies. J Affect Disord. 2017; 213:44-50. DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2017.02.009. View

Wise L, Zierler S, Krieger N, Harlow B . Adult onset of major depressive disorder in relation to early life violent victimisation: a case-control study. Lancet. 2001; 358(9285):881-7. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(01)06072-X. View

Visted E, Vollestad J, Nielsen M, Schanche E . Emotion Regulation in Current and Remitted Depression: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Front Psychol. 2018; 9:756. PMC: 5968125. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00756. View

Sandi C, Richter-Levin G . From high anxiety trait to depression: a neurocognitive hypothesis. Trends Neurosci. 2009; 32(6):312-20. DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2009.02.004. View

Caspi A, Sugden K, Moffitt T, Taylor A, Craig I, Harrington H . Influence of life stress on depression: moderation by a polymorphism in the 5-HTT gene. Science. 2003; 301(5631):386-9. DOI: 10.1126/science.1083968. View

Sanders B . The measurement of psychological maltreatment: early data on the Child Abuse and Trauma Scale. Child Abuse Negl. 1995; 19(3):315-23. DOI: 10.1016/s0145-2134(94)00131-6. View

Nolen-Hoeksema S, Morrow J, Fredrickson B . Response styles and the duration of episodes of depressed mood. J Abnorm Psychol. 1993; 102(1):20-8. DOI: 10.1037//0021-843x.102.1.20. View

Kessler R, Magee W . Childhood adversities and adult depression: basic patterns of association in a US national survey. Psychol Med. 1993; 23(3):679-90. DOI: 10.1017/s0033291700025460. View

Ricarte J, Ros L, Serrano J, Martinez-Lorca M, Latorre J . Age differences in rumination and autobiographical retrieval. Aging Ment Health. 2015; 20(10):1063-9. DOI: 10.1080/13607863.2015.1060944. View

10.

Uchida Y, Takahashi T, Katayama S, Masuya J, Ichiki M, Tanabe H . Influence of trait anxiety, child maltreatment, and adulthood life events on depressive symptoms. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2018; 14:3279-3287. PMC: 6267727. DOI: 10.2147/NDT.S182783. View

11.

Watkins E, Roberts H . Reflecting on rumination: Consequences, causes, mechanisms and treatment of rumination. Behav Res Ther. 2020; 127:103573. DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2020.103573. View

12.

Weger M, Sandi C . High anxiety trait: A vulnerable phenotype for stress-induced depression. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2018; 87:27-37. DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.01.012. View

13.

Muramatsu K, Miyaoka H, Kamijima K, Muramatsu Y, Yoshida M, Otsubo T . The patient health questionnaire, Japanese version: validity according to the mini-international neuropsychiatric interview-plus. Psychol Rep. 2008; 101(3 Pt 1):952-60. DOI: 10.2466/pr0.101.3.952-960. View

14.

Seki T, Shimura A, Miyama H, Furuichi W, Ono K, Masuya J . Influence of Parenting Quality and Neuroticism on Perceived Job Stressors and Psychological and Physical Stress Response in Adult Workers from the Community. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2020; 16:2007-2015. PMC: 7457739. DOI: 10.2147/NDT.S260624. View

15.

Conway M, Mendelson M, Giannopoulos C, Csank P, Holm S . Childhood and adult sexual abuse, rumination on sadness, and dysphoria. Child Abuse Negl. 2004; 28(4):393-410. DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2003.05.004. View

16.

Spitzer R, Kroenke K, Williams J . Validation and utility of a self-report version of PRIME-MD: the PHQ primary care study. Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders. Patient Health Questionnaire. JAMA. 1999; 282(18):1737-44. DOI: 10.1001/jama.282.18.1737. View

17.

Ono K, Takaesu Y, Nakai Y, Shimura A, Ono Y, Murakoshi A . Associations among depressive symptoms, childhood abuse, neuroticism, and adult stressful life events in the general adult population. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2017; 13:477-482. PMC: 5317351. DOI: 10.2147/NDT.S128557. View

18.

Nolen-Hoeksema S . The role of rumination in depressive disorders and mixed anxiety/depressive symptoms. J Abnorm Psychol. 2000; 109(3):504-11. View

19.

OMahen H, Karl A, Moberly N, Fedock G . The association between childhood maltreatment and emotion regulation: two different mechanisms contributing to depression?. J Affect Disord. 2014; 174:287-95. DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2014.11.028. View

20.

Hasegawa A . Translation and initial validation of the Japanese version of the Ruminative Responses Scale. Psychol Rep. 2013; 112(3):716-26. DOI: 10.2466/02.08.PR0.112.3.716-726. View