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Assessing the relationship between rumination and cortisol: a review.

Peggy M Zoccola¹, Sally S Dickerson

¹Department of Psychology, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701, United States. zoccola@ohio.edu

Journal of Psychosomatic Research

|June 14, 2012

Summary

Rumination, or repetitive negative thinking, prolongs stress responses. Studies show state rumination increases cortisol, but findings vary based on measurement and stressor type. Future research needs clearer definitions and methods.

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Area of Science:

Psychoneuroendocrinology
Stress Physiology
Cognitive Psychology

Background:

Rumination, the repetitive mental rehearsal of past stressful events, is known to prolong cardiovascular stress responses.
The impact of rumination on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and cortisol levels remains unclear, with inconsistent findings across studies.
This review addresses theoretical and methodological challenges in understanding the rumination-cortisol relationship.

Purpose of the Study:

To review and synthesize findings from 15 studies examining the association between rumination and cortisol.
To identify key theoretical and methodological factors contributing to inconsistent results.
To provide recommendations for future research in this area.

Main Methods:

Systematic review of 15 studies investigating rumination and cortisol.
Analysis of different rumination assessment methods (state vs. trait, specific scales).
Examination of various stressor types (e.g., social-evaluative, laboratory manipulations) and cortisol measures (basal, reactivity, awakening response).

Main Results:

State measures of rumination consistently correlated with elevated cortisol concentrations.
Stress-related rumination was often positively linked to cortisol, while depression-related rumination showed mixed or negative associations.
Laboratory-based rumination tasks influenced cortisol, but not always above baseline; social-evaluative stressors revealed rumination predicted greater cortisol reactivity or delayed recovery.

Conclusions:

The conceptualization and measurement of rumination significantly impact observed associations with cortisol.
Cortisol response patterns vary depending on the type of rumination and the stressor employed.
Standardized methodologies and clearer theoretical frameworks are needed for future research on rumination and cortisol.