Rumination and Related Constructs: Causes, Consequences, and Treatment of Thinking Too Much

452 Pages·2020·4.519 MB·English

by  Ashley Borders

RUMINATION AND RELATED
CONSTRUCTS
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RUMINATION
AND RELATED
CONSTRUCTS
CAUSES, CONSEQUENCES,
AND TREATMENT OF
THINKING TOO MUCH
A B
SHLEY ORDERS
TheCollegeofNewJersey,NewJersey,UnitedStates
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Contents
Preface ix
Acknowledgments xvii
1
CONSEQUENCES OF RUMINATION
1. Rumination and mood disorders 3
Overview 3
Responsestylestheory:definitionsandmeasurement 5
Ruminationandsadmood 8
Ruminationanddepression 10
Mechanismsofdepressiverumination 13
Ruminationandbipolardisorder 20
Genderdifferencesindepressiverumination 21
Moderatorsandintegratedtheory 22
Conclusion 26
References 27
2. Rumination and anxiety-related disorders 37
Overview 37
Generalizedanxietydisorder 38
Socialanxietydisorder 46
Posttraumaticstressdisorder 50
Obsessive(cid:1)compulsivedisorder 55
Illnessanxietydisorder 58
Conclusion 59
References 60
3. Rumination, anger, and aggression 73
Overview 73
Ruminationandanger 76
Theoriesofaggression 78
Ruminationandaggression 81
Mechanismsoftheeffectofruminationonaggression 85
Moderatorsoftheeffectofruminationonaggression 87
Conclusion 92
References 95
v
vi
CONTENTS
4. Rumination and dysregulated behaviors 101
Overview 101
Substance-relatedoutcomes 102
Borderlinepersonality 107
Disorderedeating 110
Suicidalityandself-harm 117
Psychosis 119
Conclusion 121
References 122
5. Rumination and physical functioning 135
Overview 135
Cardiovascularfunctioning 138
Endocrinefunctioning 143
Immunefunctioning 147
Sleepproblems 149
Pain 150
Healthbehaviors 153
Conclusion 157
References 158
Furtherreading 168
6. Consequences of expressed rumination 169
Overview 169
Expressivewriting 170
Co-rumination 171
Socialsharingofemotion 178
Collectiverumination 185
Conclusion 187
References 192
2
CAUSES AND CORRELATES
7. Triggers of rumination 201
Overview 201
Controltheory 201
Copingtheory 204
Negativeemotions 205
Stressors 209
Conclusion 222
References 224
vii
CONTENTS
8. Beliefs, traits, and motivations underlying rumination 239
Overview 239
Beliefsaboutrumination 240
Avoidance 242
Personalitytraits 245
Emotionregulation 253
Conclusion 262
References 264
9. Rumination, cognition, and the brain 279
Overview 279
Cognition 280
Brain 292
Conclusion 302
References 302
3
TREATMENTS FOR RUMINATION
10. Cognitive behavioral therapies for rumination 315
Overview 315
Rumination-focusedcognitivebehavioraltherapy 318
Cognitivemodification 332
Conclusion 336
References 337
11. Mindfulness-based therapies for rumination 345
Overview 345
Cultivatingmindfulness 347
Mindfulness-relatedconstructsandrumination 349
Mindfulness-basedtherapies 354
Conclusion 366
References 367
12. Metacognitive therapy for rumination 381
Overview 381
Metacognitivetheoryandtherapy 382
Generalizedanxietydisorder 387
Depression 390
Posttraumaticstressdisorder 393
Socialanxietydisorder 395
Obsessive(cid:1)compulsivedisorder 396
viii
CONTENTS
Schizophrenia 399
Alcoholusedisorder 402
Conclusion 403
References 404
Afterword 413
Index 425
Preface
As a life-long lover of Paul Simon’s music, I still find it humorous
that when I was 13, a friend commented that the song “Think Too
Much” aptly described me. The basic gist of the song is reflected in the
chorus, which is the line “maybe I think too much” repeated four times.
To underscore thenatureof thiskind ofrepetitive thought,Simon wrote
not one but two songs with the same title and chorus (both of which are
on his album Hearts and Bones). The first of these two songs is light and
happy, focusing on thinking about a girl he loved. But the second song
is darker and sad, as he hopelessly tries to understand where the rela-
tionship went wrong andfeelsworn out from allhis thinking.
This book is about the kind of thinking that Paul Simon describes—
the kind of thinking that is repetitive, hard to stop, exhausting, and
unproductive. It is something almost everyone does. Most people know
what it is like to brood about how they cannot cope with work stress,
rehash reasons why a relationship ended, focus on all the things that
could go wrong on an upcoming presentation, and fixate on how they
will respond to a perceived insult. This kind of repetitive thinking is
called rumination and has been a focus of research by clinical, social,
cognitive, and health psychologists since theearly 1990s.
We know that the majority of people—both young and old—rumi-
nate when they feel upset (Garnefski & Kraaij, 2006; Siewert, Kubiak,
Jonas, & Weber, 2011; Siewert, Kubiak, Jonas, & Weber, 2013).
Unfortunately, although it is a normative cognitive process, high levels
of rumination contribute to a wide range of harmful mental and physi-
cal health outcomes, from depression and anxiety to eating disorders,
substance abuse, aggressive behavior, and poor health. People also
ruminate with others, with both positive and negative outcomes.
Theories and evidence propose various reasons why people engage in
this kind of thought process, despite its many negative consequences.
Researchers have also explored cognitive and neural correlates of rumi-
nation. Finally, various kinds of interventions successfully decrease
rumination. At a time when there are so many reasons to brood and
worry, understanding what psychologists know about rumination may
help people lead more productive lives while reducing unnecessary
emotional distress. The most recent book summarizing the rumination
field was published over 15 years ago and focused exclusively on rumi-
nation in the context of depression (Papageorgiou & Wells, 2004).
ix