Rumination, Depression, and Gender in Early Adolescence: A Longitudinal Study of a Bidirectional Model

• Published in: The Journal of early adolescence 2018-08, Vol.38 (7), p.923-946
• Main Authors: Krause, Elizabeth D., Vélez, Clorinda E., Woo, Rebecca, Hoffmann, Brittany, Freres, Derek R., Abenavoli, Rachel M., Gillham, Jane E.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: At Risk Students; Child development; Children & youth; Depression (Psychology); Early Adolescents; Gender; Gender Differences; Girls; Longitudinal Studies; Measures (Individuals); Mental depression; Middle School Students; Statistical Analysis; Symptoms (Individual Disorders)
• ISSN: 0272-4316; 1552-5449
• DOI: 10.1177/0272431617704956

Recent research suggests that rumination may represent both a risk factor for and consequence of depression, especially among female samples. Nevertheless, few longitudinal studies have examined a reciprocal model of rumination and depression in early adolescence, just before rates of depression diverge by gender. The present study evaluated a cross-lagged path model of rumination and depression in a sample of 408 early adolescents. Gender moderation was also examined. Support was found for a longitudinal bidirectional model of rumination and depression but only among girls. For boys, increased rumination emerged as a consequence, not as a predictor, of depression symptoms. In early adolescence, rumination may be a greater risk factor for depression among girls than boys, whereas depression may be a significant vulnerability factor for increased rumination among both boys and girls. Why rumination may be more maladaptive for girls than boys is discussed within a psychosocial and developmental framework.