Depressive Rumination: Nature, Theory and Treatment
A relatively new theory in psychology, depressive rumination involves the cyclic depressive state of constant rumination, or mulling over thoughts. The word "ruminate" is derived from the Latin word for "chewing cud," so to ruminate means to mull over different thoughts in a negative cycle, causing a depressive state once the rumination begins.
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Who Is Affected?
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While depressive rumination can affect men and women, women are more affected by the condition than men. According to an article in "Canadian Psychology," women are twice as likely as men to suffer a major depressive episode. However, why women are more likely to suffer from depressive rumination is still unknown.
Theories On Who Is Affected
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According to Dr. Susan Nolen-Hoeksema (1987, 1991), women may be predisposed to depressive rumination partly because of early socialization and exposure to the inequities of society. Nolen-Hoeksema goes on to speculate that society teaches girls to constantly question themselves and ruminate, particularly in times of distress, whereas boys are taught to distract themselves from distress, leading to a lower risk of rumination.
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Symptoms
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Since rumination is based on cyclic negative thought, rumination begins to affect a person's ability to problem-solve, adding to a depressive rut. Less able to problem-solve, individuals begin to lose confidence in their solutions and themselves, increasing the depression associated with the rumination.
Causes
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Typically, people affected by depressive rumination have had a past trauma. They exhibit neurotic or perfectionistic personality traits, hope that they will gain some insight from the rumination and believe that there are uncontrollable and chronic stressors that trigger events. Most individuals who ruminate have lost family members to terminal illness or survived tremendously stressful events.
Thought Processes and Depressive Rumination
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If an individual is prone to rumination, reestablishing new thought processes will enable the individual to face events with a more positive mindset. Ridding the mind of unhealthy goals and ideals helps. Treatment for depressive rumination is cognitive therapy. By seeking professional help, patients can retrain their thought processes and create healthy, positive thinking. According to the Mood Disorders Centre at the School of Psychology, University of Exeter, patients treated in a 3-month period showed marked improvement with cognitive therapy.
Anti-Depressants
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According to a study by Emily A.P. Haigh and David M. Fresco of Kent State University, and Devita Singh and R. Michael Bagby of the Center for Addiction and Mental Health, antidepressants show little effect in predicting and breaking the cycle of rumination. The study concluded that more research was needed to understand the cycles of depressive rumination.
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