TY - JOUR
PY - 2024//
TI - Childhood emotional abuse and depression symptoms among Chinese adolescents: the sequential masking effect of ruminative thinking and deliberate rumination
JO - Child abuse and neglect
A1 - Zhao, Jiayin
A1 - Hu, Jinsheng
A1 - Yu, Tengxu
SP - e106854
EP - e106854
VL - 154
IS -
N2 - BACKGROUND: This study delves into the relationship between childhood trauma and adolescent depression symptoms, specifically examining the distinct roles of ruminative thinking and deliberate rumination in mediating this connection. The focus is on exploring whether these cognitive processes, namely ruminative thinking and deliberate rumination, operate differently and sequentially in mediating the impact of childhood emotional abuse (CEA) on the development of depression symptoms among Chinese adolescents.
METHODS: The study involved gathering data from 489 adolescents, with a relatively balanced gender distribution (44.79 % males and 55.21 % females). The average age of the participants was 16.92 years, with a standard deviation of 0.67. Data collection took place in two Chinese high schools, and participants were tasked with completing assessments related to CEA, ruminative thinking, deliberate rumination, and depression symptoms. The interplay among these variables was then examined using a serial mediation model.
RESULTS: The findings of the study indicate that CEA not only exhibited a direct association with adolescent depression symptoms but also exerted indirect effects through distinct mediating mechanisms involving ruminative thinking and deliberate rumination. Specifically, ruminative thinking was identified as a mediator, whereas deliberate rumination emerged as a buffer in the relationship between CEA and depression. Additionally, ruminative thinking and deliberate rumination partially masked the effect of CEA on adolescent depression symptoms in a sequential pattern.
CONCLUSIONS: Regarding the link from CEA to adolescent depression symptoms, ruminative thinking is an adverse mediator while deliberate rumination appears to play a benign role. Consequently, the promotion of a shift from ruminative thinking to deliberate rumination is proposed as a promising strategy for alleviating the detrimental effects of CEA on adolescent depression.
Language: en
LA - en SN - 0145-2134 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2024.106854 ID - ref1 ER -