title: Rumination mediates the prospective effect of low self-esteem on depression: a five-wave longitudinal study.
abstract: Previous research supports the vulnerability model of low self-esteem and depression, which states that low self-esteem operates as a prospective risk factor for depression. However, it is unclear which processes mediate the effect of low self-esteem. To test for the mediating effect of rumination, the authors used longitudinal mediation models, which included exclusively prospective effects and controlled for autoregressive effects of the constructs. Data came from 663 individuals (aged 16 to 62 years), who were assessed 5 times over an 8-month period. The results indicated that low self-esteem predicted subsequent rumination, which in turn predicted subsequent depression, and that rumination partially mediated the prospective effect of low self-esteem on depression. These findings held for both men and women, and for both affective-cognitive and somatic symptoms of depression. Future studies should test for the mediating effects of additional intrapersonal and interpersonal processes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Basel, Missionsstrasse 62, 4055 Basel, Switzerland. farah.kuster@unibas.ch
authors.forename: Farah
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kuster
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Orth
authors.forename: Laurenz L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Meier
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008960:Models, Psychological; D010555:Personality Inventory; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012649:Self Concept; D057566:Self Report; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013850:Thinking; D055815:Young Adult