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How thinking hurts: Rumination, worry, and avoidance processes in adjustment to bereavement.

ABSTRACT: Repetitive negative thought plays an important role in the maintenance of mental health problems following bereavement. To date, bereavement researchers have primarily focused on rumination (i.e., repetitive thought about negative events and/or negative emotions), yet the interest in worry (i.e., repetitive thought about uncertain future events) is increasing. Both cognitive processes potentially lead to poorer adaptation to bereavement by contributing to loss-related avoidance and behavioural avoidance of activities. The current study aims to establish the differential associations of rumination and worry with symptoms of depression and prolonged grief and clarify if avoidance processes mediate the associations of rumination and worry with symptom levels. Four hundred seventy-four recently bereaved adults (82% female) filled out questionnaires assessing rumination, worry, loss-related and behavioural avoidance, and depression and prolonged grief symptoms. Rumination and worry were both uniquely associated with depression and prolonged grief symptoms. Compared with worry, rumination related more strongly to prolonged grief symptoms, whereas correlations of both cognitive styles with depression symptoms did not differ. Loss-related avoidance and behavioural avoidance partially mediated the associations of rumination and worry with prolonged grief symptoms. Behavioural avoidance partially mediated the associations of rumination and worry with depression symptoms. Findings suggest that exposure and behavioural activation may be effective interventions to reduce repetitive thinking and psychopathology after bereavement.

SUBMITTER: Eisma MC

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7497101 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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How thinking hurts: Rumination, worry, and avoidance processes in adjustment to bereavement.

Eisma Maarten C MC de Lang Thomas A TA Boelen Paul A PA

Clinical psychology & psychotherapy 20200304 4

Repetitive negative thought plays an important role in the maintenance of mental health problems following bereavement. To date, bereavement researchers have primarily focused on rumination (i.e., repetitive thought about negative events and/or negative emotions), yet the interest in worry (i.e., repetitive thought about uncertain future events) is increasing. Both cognitive processes potentially lead to poorer adaptation to bereavement by contributing to loss-related avoidance and behavioural a ...[more]

PMID: 32103569

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Project description:BackgroundThe objective of the current study was to determine the best set of predictors of psychological disorders, regrets, health-related quality of life, and mental health function among bereaved caregivers of patients with cancer, thereby identifying promising targets for interventions to improve bereavement adjustment.MethodsCoping with Cancer is a longitudinal study of patients with advanced cancer and their informal caregivers who were enrolled from 2002 to 2008. The main outcome measure was bereavement adjustment of 245 caregivers (eg, depression, anxiety, and regrets) 6 months after the loss of the patient. The Structured Clinical Interview of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders determined whether caregivers met the criteria for major depressive disorder or an anxiety disorder. Changes in health-related quality of life and mental health function from baseline to after the patient's death were assessed with the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form (SF-36).ResultsGreater than 50% of the caregivers reported regret about the cancer patient's end-of-life care; better patient quality of death (adjusted odds ratio, 0.77; 95% confidence interval, 0.67-0.88) reduced the risk of bereavement regret. The incidence of major depressive disorder or anxiety among the bereaved caregivers was 12.6% and was less likely for caregivers with better mental health before the loss of the patient (adjusted odds ratio, 0.03; 95% confidence interval, 0.004-0.25). Better patient quality of death also predicted improved caregiver health-related quality of life (adjusted standardized beta, .28; P < .001). The completion of a do-not-resuscitate order was found to be predictive of improved mental health from before the death of the patient to after the death (adjusted standardized beta, .29; P < .001).ConclusionsReducing caregiver distress, encouraging advance care planning by patients, and improving patients' quality of death appear to be promising targets of interventions to improve caregiver bereavement adjustment.

Project description:BackgroundPromoting well-being and preventing poor mental health in young people is a major global priority. Building emotional competence skills via a mobile app may be an effective, scalable and acceptable way to do this. A particular risk factor for anxiety and depression is elevated worry and rumination (repetitive negative thinking, RNT). An app designed to reduce RNT may prevent future incidence of depression and anxiety.Method/designThe Emotional Competence for Well-Being in Young Adults study developed an emotional competence app to be tested via randomised controlled trials in a longitudinal prospective cohort. This off-shoot study adapts the app to focus on targeting RNT (worry, rumination), known risk factors for poor mental health. In this study, 16-24 year olds in the UK, who report elevated worry and rumination on standardised questionnaires are randomised to (i) receive the RNT-targeting app immediately for 6 weeks (ii) a waiting list control who receive the app after 6 weeks. In total, the study will aim to recruit 204 participants, with no current diagnosis of major depression, bipolar disorder or psychosis, across the UK. Assessments take place at baseline (pre-randomisation), 6 and 12 weeks post-randomisation. Primary endpoint and outcome for the study is level of rumination assessed on the Rumination Response Styles Questionnaire at 6 weeks. Worry, depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms and well-being are secondary outcomes. Compliance, adverse events and potentially mediating variables will be carefully monitored.DiscussionThis trial aims to better understand the benefits of tackling RNT via an mobile phone app intervention in young people. This prevention mechanism trial will establish whether targeting worry and rumination directly via an app provides a feasible approach to prevent depression and anxiety, with scope to become a widescale public health strategy for preventing poor mental health and promoting well-being in young people.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov , NCT04950257 . Registered 6 July 2021 - Retrospectively registered.

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How thinking hurts: Rumination, worry, and avoidance processes in adjustment to bereavement.

Publications

How thinking hurts: Rumination, worry, and avoidance processes in adjustment to bereavement.

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