Dispositional Rumination in Individuals with a Depression History.

Many studies show that rumination is related to current depressive episodes but very few studies have examined whether rumination is elevated among those with a history of diagnosed depression. The goal of the current study was to examine whether a history of diagnosable major depressive disorder (MDD) is related to rumination among undergraduates. In addition, individual difference variables (i.e. problem-solving abilities, neuroticism and self-esteem) that might help explain rumination were examined. Participants were interviewed with the SCID to diagnose MDD. Fifty-one had no history of MDD and 41 had a MDD history. Depression history was significantly related to rumination, even after controlling for subsyndromal symptoms. Rumination was related to negative problem-solving orientation. Major limitations of this study are the cross-sectional design, undergraduate sample and the relatively small sample size, particularly for multidimensional analyses.