Cognitive processing, rumination, and posttraumatic growth.
Intrusive thoughts about traumatic events are an important factor in determining the development of posttraumatic growth, although research has focused on the frequency rather than the type of intrusions. Based on cognitive processing models of posttraumatic growth, the authors present two cross-sectional studies exploring different types of intrusive ruminations about trauma and their associations with posttraumatic growth. Study 1 examines brooding and reflection; Study 2 uses measures of both deliberate and intrusive rumination regarding a past trauma. The results indicate that intrusive reexperiencing and ruminative brooding are not significantly associated with posttraumatic growth, whereas deliberate rumination is significantly positively associated with posttraumatic growth (β = .44, p < .001) and reflection (partial r = .20, p = .003) is positively associated with posttraumatic growth in the context of low brooding.
Institute of Work, Health & Organisations, University of Nottingham, International House, Jubilee Campus, Wollaton Road, Nottingham NG8 1BB, UK. lwxhs2@nottingham.ac.uk
Hannah
H
Stockton
Nigel
N
Hunt
Stephen
S
Joseph
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D003071:Cognition; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009770:Obsessive Behavior; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000523:psychology*; D006113:United Kingdom