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Rumination in PTSD as well as in Traumatized and Non-Traumatized Depressed Patients: A Cross-Sectional Clinical Study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 April 2011

Eva Birrer  and
Tanja Michael
Eva Birrer*
Affiliation:
Klinik fuer Schlafmedizin, Luzern, Switzerland
Tanja Michael
Affiliation:
Klinik fuer Schlafmedizin, Luzern, Switzerland
*
Reprint requests to Eva Birrer, Klinik fuer Schlafmedizin, St. Anna-Str. 32, 6006 Luzern, Switzerland. E-mail: birrer@ksm.ch
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Abstract

Background: Although rumination is a key process in the onset and maintenance of depressive symptoms and a powerful predictor of persistent posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), little is known about the differences and similarities of rumination in these conditions. Previous research has not always differentiated between rumination and intrusive images. Aims: We sought to systematically evaluate rumination and to gather more information about the content and associated emotions in three patient groups (PTSD, and depressed with and without trauma; n = 65). Furthermore, we examined the interaction between rumination and another predominant intrusive cognition, intrusive image. Method: A multi-method assessment for rumination, including a rumination questionnaire and a rumination log (kept for one week), was employed. Results: Rumination was found to be complex and composed of subcomponents that are similar across the diagnostic groups. Rumination rarely stopped intrusive images and it made the participants feel worse. There were, however, also important differences: in PTSD, rumination always or often triggered intrusive images and the traumatized individuals (PTSD and depressed with trauma) ruminated more than non-traumatized depressed patients. Conclusions: The results corroborate the assumption of rumination being a transdiagnostic process, with similarities but also with important differences across diagnostic groups. Moreover, the findings support recent research on the intricate relationship between different types of intrusive cognitions.

Keywords

Posttraumatic Stress Disorderdepression with and without traumaintrusive imagesruminationtriggers
Type
Research Article
Information
Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy , Volume 39 , Issue 4 , July 2011 , pp. 381 - 397
Copyright
Copyright © British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies 2011

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