Rumination Mediates the Relationship Between Potentially Traumatic Events and Positive Affect in a Sample of Youth

Childhood trauma has been associated with lower positive affect (van Veen et al., 2013). Rumination has been linked to more intense and longer lasting periods of negative emotion (Brosschot et al., 2005) and poorer affective states (Moberly & Watkins, 2008). However, few studies have tested mechanisms that could help elucidate the relationship between traumatic event exposure and affective dysregulation, particularly in youth.

Considering the transdiagnostic nature of rumination and affect dysregulation across depressive and posttraumatic stress symptomatology, the present study examined a rumination pathway between lifetime experiences of potentially traumatic events (PTEs) and past-week state positive affect in a community sample of youth residing in a large, urban city in the U.S.

A sample of 3rd (n = 72), 6th (n = 82), and 9th (n = 76) graders (N = 230; Mage = 11.49 years, SDage = 2.43; 52.6% female; 44.3% White, 41.3% Black or African American; 14.4% Multiracial, Hispanic/Latino, or Native American) completed self-report measures and a clinical interview at a baseline lab visit.

Results revealed that rumination significantly mediated the relationship between PTEs and past-week state positive affect. Conclusion: Findings suggest that the relationship between PTEs and state positive affect is explained by rumination. Among youth who have experienced PTEs and experience dysregulated positive affect, rumination may be a modifiable treatment target that could alleviate affect dysregulation.