Gender Differences in Developmental Trajectories of Rumination from Late Childhood to Adolescence

• In Event: Adolescent Depression: Integrating Research on Risk and Prevention to Advance the Field

Abstract

Rumination, the tendency to dwell on the potential meaning, causes, and consequences of distress (Nolen-Hoeksema, 1991) is a potent risk of depression that also helps explain gender differences in depression. However, little is known about the normative developmental patterning of rumination among youth and gender differences in mean-level trajectories of rumination from late childhood through adolescence.

We utilized data from a two-site (broader Denver metropolitan area, central New Jersey area) prospective study using an accelerated longitudinal cohort design with community youth (N=679; 55% girl, 45% boy; 38% racial/ethnic minority; age M=11.6, SD=2.4) starting in 3rd, 6th and 9th grades, who completed assessments every 1.5 years allowing for analysis of trajectories of rumination over 9 years. Rumination was measured via youth self-report on the Child Response Styles Questionnaire (Abela, Brozina, & Haigh, 2002).

Latent growth curve models were used to characterize the pattern of mean-level change of rumination in girls and boys. The best fitting model supported a piece-wise model including two linear slopes and a “knot” at age 13.5 (CFI=.95, RMSEA=.06 for girls; CFI=.91, RMSEA=.05 for boys). Girls demonstrated linear increases in rumination from age 10.5 to 13.5, and stable levels from age 13.5 to 18 (see Figure 1). Boys showed stable levels of rumination from age 10.5 to age 18. Results showed gender differences in mean-level trajectories during earlier, but not later, adolescence. Gender was regressed on the intercept and both linear slopes. Gender predicted the first linear slope (b=7.9, p=.04), but neither the intercept nor second linear slope. In other words, girls and boys had similar starting levels of rumination at age 10.5, different rates of change through earlier adolescence, and similar, stable levels during later adolescence. Independent sample t-tests showed that girls had higher levels than boys starting at age 12 through 18 (average Cohen’s d=.43).

These results could inform the timing of prevention and intervention strategies to interrupt the crystallization of ruminative thinking patterns and decrease risk for depression, especially for girls. It may be especially important to intervene in the development of ruminative responses in girls during late childhood, before mean-level increases and subsequent stabilization in this thinking style occurs during adolescence.

Authors

• Tina Schweizer, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
  Presenting Author

• Jami Young, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
  Non-Presenting Author

• Benjamin Hankin, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
  Non-Presenting Author