Endorsement of Positive Beliefs about Depressive Rumination and Depressive Ruminative Tendency

Abstract

The present study developed a questionnaire to assess the endorsement of positive beliefs about depressive rumination, and investigated which aspects of the beliefs predicted depressive ruminative tendency. In Study 1, Positive Beliefs about Depressive Rumination Questionnaire (PBDRQ) was developed, which had four subscales: avoidance of negative influence on one's life, improvement of problem solving ability, promotion of emotional regulation, and avoidance of aggravation of the present state. In Study 2, PBDRQ showed adequate concurrent validity and test-retest reliability. In Study 3, the scores on avoidance of negative influence on one's life and avoidance of aggravation of the present state of PBDRQ had a positive correlation with depressive ruminative tendency. The results suggested that treatment targeting the beliefs about disadvantages of not ruminating, i.e., avoidance of negative influences on one's life and avoidance of aggravation of the present state, would effectively decrease depressive ruminative tendency.View full abstract