نشخوار فکری و افسردگی: شواهد برای نقش تعدیل کننده امیدواری

The present study examines the effects of rumination and hope on depressive symptoms. It was hypothesized that hope would moderate the relationship between rumination and depressive symptoms, given that greater goal-directed activity in the face of obstacles may elicit beneficial aspects of rumination. Three hundred ninety-six undergraduate students completed measures of rumination, hope, and depressive symptoms. Main effects were found for both rumination and hope, and a two-way interaction between rumination and hope was found as hypothesized, indicating that high hope served as a buffer against the depressive effects of rumination. The results were significant for both the brooding and reflection subtypes of rumination, suggesting that hope may serve as an important framework for understanding the adaptive value of rumination.

Rumination has long been implicated as a cognitive risk factor for depression (e.g., Just and Alloy, 1997 and Nolen-Hoeksema, 1991). In particular, those who ruminate are at an increased risk to develop depressive symptoms (Just and Alloy, 1997 and Nolen-Hoeksema et al., 1993). While rumination is often examined in terms of exacerbating depressive symptoms, few studies have focused on factors that may serve to decrease the severity of a depressive reaction. The present study focuses on hope as a factor that may buffer against the negative effects of rumination in predicting depressive symptoms.