The good old times?!: the relationship between regret and rumination in older adults

As people age, reflecting on missed opportunities can create a self-sustaining cycle of regret and rumination, potentially affecting mental health. This study explores the relationship between regret and self-critical rumination in older adults and examines whether a general tendency to ruminate intensifies this connection.

Fifty-six older adults (aged 65 or older) completed a questionnaire assessing their trait-level tendency for self-critical rumination. They subsequently performed a sequential binary choice risk-taking task (the Devil's task), specifically designed to elicit state regret and self-critical rumination as a function of their decision outcomes.

As expected, the worst outcomes in the task elicited the highest levels of regret, supporting the idea that regret arises from missed opportunities and blocked goal progress. Regret and self-critical rumination during the task were positively correlated. Both trait-level rumination and momentary self-critical rumination at the start of the study predicted heightened regret, and subsequent self-critical rumination, following the risk-taking computer task. However, the self-perpetuating cycle between regret and rumination occurred independently of habitual rumination tendencies, contrasting with findings in younger adults.

These findings highlight the need to consider the interplay between regret and self-critical rumination in mental health interventions for older adults, regardless of their habitual tendency to ruminate.