Degree Name
MA (Master of Arts)
Program
Psychology
Date of Award
8-2024
Committee Chair or Co-Chairs
Rachel Miller-Slough
Committee Members
Natasha Gouge, Diana Morelen
Abstract
Two risk factors for anxiety and depression in adolescence were examined: co-rumination, which occurs when friends excessively talk about problems; and psychological inflexibility, which occurs when one avoids negative feelings and fails to act on values. I hypothesized that psychological inflexibility would exacerbate the effect of co-rumination on adolescent anxiety and depression. Participants were 167 adolescents (Mage = 14.60 years, SD = 1.3; 65.7% cisgender males) who completed standard measures as part of an online survey. Results indicated no moderation effect, but there were main effects of co-rumination and psychological inflexibility on depression symptoms. Co-rumination may relate to higher depression symptoms by reinforcing a focus on stressors. Adolescents exhibiting psychological inflexibility may exacerbate symptoms by avoiding growth opportunities and perseverating on negative emotions. Results call for more research on co-rumination and psychological inflexibility as well as clinical interventions. Limitations include using cross-sectional, self-report methodology.
Document Type
Thesis - unrestricted
Recommended Citation
Parigger, John, "Co-Rumination, Psychological Inflexibility, and Internalizing Symptoms in Adolescence" (2024). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 4419. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/4419
Copyright
Copyright by the authors.