The effects of rumination

And
Negative cognitive styles
On
Depression: a mediation analysis
Kui Zhang

Previous research has identified Rumination and Negative

Cognitive Styles as risk factors for Depression.

Rumination
Depression
Negative
Cognitive Style

In this study, the researchers want to examine the hypothesis that Rumination is
a mediator between Negative Cognitive Styles and Depression.

Rumination

Negative
Cognitive
Style

Depression

Three Different Questionnaires Were Used In This Study.

Depression
Symptoms

BDI-II
Beck Depression Inventory-Second Edition

Brooding
Rumination

RRS
The Response Style Questionnaire

Negative
Cognitive
Style

ASQ
The Attributional Style Questionnaire

Reflection
A
recent
study
also
demonstrated that the RRS
comprises two distinct factors,
Brooding And Reflection.

This study becomes to test the mediating relationship among Negative Cognitive Styles,
Brooding, Reflection And Depression

Brooding
Negative
Cognitive
Style

Depression
Symptoms

Reflection

Rumination

First Hypothesis

H0: Brooding mediate the effects of negative cognitive styles on depressive

symptoms.

Brooding
significant

Negative
Cognitive Style

Unsure significant

Depressive
Symptoms

Second Hypothesis

H0: Reflection mediate the effects of negative cognitive styles on depressive

symptoms.

Reflection
Not significant

Negative
Cognitive Style

Unsure significant

Depressive
Symptoms

PARTICIPANTS
College Sample
College students from the university of Hong Kong
Male: 23

Female: 92

Total: 115

Patient Sample
Patients from outpatient psychiatric clinic
Male: 4

Female: 34

Total: 38

Step 1
Independent t-test to compare the two samples on each measures

Independent t-test to compare the two samples on each measures

Results:
1. Significant differences between the samples (college students VS patients) were found for brooding, ASQ, and BDI

2. There was no difference in the level of reflection between the two samples (college students VS patients)

Step 2
Correlations among Brooding, Reflection, ASQ and BDI

Correlations among brooding, reflection, ASQ and BDI (college sample)

Reflection

+
Negative
Cognitive Style

ASQ

Brooding

Negative
Cognitive Style

Depressive
Symptoms

BDI

ASQ
Brooding

uncorrelated

Depressive
Symptoms

BDI
Reflection

Correlations among brooding, reflection, ASQ and BDI (patient sample)

N Sig

+
Negative
Cognitive Style

ASQ

Brooding

Negative
Cognitive Style

Depressive
Symptoms

BDI

ASQ
Brooding

Reflection

uncorrelated

N Sig
Depressive
Symptoms

BDI
Reflection

Step 3
Mediation Model of Brooding and Reflection
To examine whether Brooding and Reflection mediate the effects of
Negative Cognitive Styles on Depressive Symptoms

BDI were regressed on ASQ

Brooding
Negative
Cognitive Style

0.48***
Significantly

ASQ

Depressive
Symptoms
BDI

Reflection
ASQ significantly predicted BDI-II: = . , = . , = . , < .

COLLEGE SAMPLE

Brooding and reflection were regressed separately on ASQ

Significantly
0.29**

Brooding

Negative
Cognitive Style

Depressive
Symptoms

ASQ

BDI
-0.26**

Reflection

Significantly

ASQ significantly predicted brooding: = . , = . , = . , = .

ASQ significantly predicted reflection: = . , = . , = . , = .

BDI were regressed separately on ASQ together with

brooding and reflection
Significantly

Brooding
Negative
Cognitive Style

0.35***

Depressive
Symptoms

ASQ

BDI

Reflection

-0.14#
Significantly

Brooding significantly predicted BDI : = ., = ., = ., < .

Reflection nearly significantly predicted BDI: = ., = ., = ., = .

The relationship between ASQ and BDI decreased in strength

with the presence of the mediators, but still remained
significant, so further testing is needed.

Brooding

Negative
Cognitive Style

0.48***

0.34***

ASQ

Depressive
Symptoms
BDI

Reflection
ASQ significantly predicted BDI: = . , = . , = . , < .

The final model of relationship among Brooding, Reflection ,

ASQ and BDI

0.29**

Negative
Cognitive Style

Brooding

0.48***

0.34***

0.35***

Depressive
Symptoms

ASQ

BDI
0.26**

Reflection

-0.14#

4
1

SOBEL TEST: Test The Indirect Effect

Brooding (z=3.123, p=0.002) has a significant mediation effect between ASQ and BDI

Brooding partially mediated the relationship between negative cognitive styles and depression

Reflection (z=1.54, p=0.12) did not meet the conditions of a mediator

The result did not support the notion that reflection mediated the relationship between
negative cognitive styles and depression

BDI were regressed on ASQ

Brooding
Negative
Cognitive Style

0.32#
Insignificantly

ASQ

Depressive
Symptoms
BDI

Reflection
ASQ nearly significantly predicted BDI: = 0.32, = 0.55, 34 = 1.99, = 0.055

PATIENT SAMPLE

Brooding and reflection were regressed separately on ASQ

Significantly
0.41*

Brooding

Negative
Cognitive Style

Depressive
Symptoms

ASQ

BDI
0.13(ns)

Reflection

Insignificantly

ASQ significantly predicted brooding: = . , = . , = . , = .

ASQ didnt significantly predict reflection: = . , = . , = . , =

BDI were regressed on ASQ together with Brooding And Reflection

Brooding

0.41*

Negative
Cognitive Style

0.32#

0.18(ns)

0.36*

Depressive
Symptoms

ASQ

BDI
0.13(ns)

Reflection

-0.07(ns)

Brooding predicted BDI: = 0.36, = 0.76, 32 = 2.09 = 0.045

Significantly

Reflection predicted BDI: = 0.67

ASQ predicted BDI: = 0.18, = 0.59, 32 = 1.05, = 0.30

Insignificantly
Insignificantly

Bootstrapping Method For Patient Sample

Since the patient group had a relatively small sample size, Bootstrapping
method is used to test the mediation effect
The confidence limits
is between [ 0.0129
1.168]

Zero is not in the

95%confidence
interval

Brooding has an indirect effect

between the relationship
between ASQ and BDI

Discussion:
1. Patient sample size is too small
2. Student sample only came from the university of Hong Kong
3. There are much more Female participants than male participants