title: Phenomenological aspects of the cognitive rumination construct.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the importance of phenomenological aspects of the cognitive rumination (CR) construct in current empirical psychiatric research.
  
  
  METHODS
  We searched SciELO, Scopus, ScienceDirect, MEDLINE, OneFile (GALE), SpringerLink, Cambridge Journals and Web of Science between February and March of 2014 for studies whose title and topic included the following keywords: cognitive rumination; rumination response scale; and self-reflection. The inclusion criteria were: empirical clinical study; CR as the main object of investigation; and study that included a conceptual definition of CR. The studies selected were published in English in biomedical journals in the last 10 years. Our phenomenological analysis was based on Karl Jaspers' General Psychopathology.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Most current empirical studies adopt phenomenological cognitive elements in conceptual definitions. However, these elements do not seem to be carefully examined and are indistinctly understood as objective empirical factors that may be measured, which may contribute to misunderstandings about CR, erroneous interpretations of results and problematic theoretical models.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Empirical studies fail when evaluating phenomenological aspects of the cognitive elements of the CR construct. Psychopathology and phenomenology may help define the characteristics of CR elements and may contribute to their understanding and hierarchical organization as a construct. A review of the psychopathology principles established by Jasper may clarify some of these issues.
authors: Institute of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors: Leonardo Fernandez
authors: LF
authors: Meyer
authors: Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors: José Geraldo Vernet
authors: JG
authors: Taborda
authors: Colégio Pedro II, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors: Fábio Antônio
authors: FA
authors: da Costa
authors: Centro de Políticas em Saúde do Trabalhador, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors: Ana Luiza Alfaya Galego
authors: AL
authors: Soares
authors: Instituto de Perícia Heitor Carrilho, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors: Kátia
authors: K
authors: Mecler
authors: Institute of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors: Alexandre Martins
authors: AM
authors: Valença
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders; D008960:Models, Psychological; D013850:Thinking