Examining rumination, devaluation of positivity, and depressive symptoms via community-based network analysis

Components of rumination, including brooding and reflection, as well as devaluating prospective positivity, may help maintain depressive symptoms. We examined these components together for the first time using network analysis.

We examined the robustness of rumination communities of closely related items in one network and then examined the interrelationships between rumination communities, devaluation of positivity, and depression, in a second network.

Three rumination communities emerged, replicating findings of Bernstein et al. (2019). Within a dense network, nodes representing brooding, reflective pondering, and difficulty trusting positive feelings were most influential. In addition, the node representing the depressive symptom negative self-views shared strong edges with nodes representing devaluation of positivity and brooding.

Brooding, reflective pondering, and elements of devaluing positivity are influential to depressive symptoms and may be important future experimental and therapeutic targets. Depressed individuals with negative self-views may engage in brooding and devalue their experience of positivity.