Rumination and repetitive thought

مِن شَرِّ ٱلۡوَسۡوَاسِ ٱلۡخَنَّاسِ

against the harm of the slinking whisperer––

وَكَمۡ أَهۡلَكۡنَا قَبۡلَهُم مِّن قَرۡنٍ هَلۡ تُحِسُّ مِنۡهُم مِّنۡ أَحَدٍ أَوۡ تَسۡمَعُ لَهُمۡ رِكۡزَۢا

How many generations We have destroyed before them! Do you perceive a single one of them now, or hear as much as a whisper

يَوۡمَئِذࣲ يَتَّبِعُونَ ٱلدَّاعِيَ لَا عِوَجَ لَهُۥۖ وَخَشَعَتِ ٱلۡأَصۡوَاتُ لِلرَّحۡمَٰنِ فَلَا تَسۡمَعُ إِلَّا هَمۡسࣰ ا

On that Day, people will follow the summoner from whom there is no escape; every voice will be hushed for the Lord of Mercy; only whispers will be heard

فَوَسۡوَسَ إِلَيۡهِ ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنُ قَالَ يَٰٓـَٔادَمُ هَلۡ أَدُلُّكَ عَلَىٰ شَجَرَةِ ٱلۡخُلۡدِ وَمُلۡكࣲ لَّا يَبۡلَىٰ

But Satan whispered to Adam, saying, ‘Adam, shall I show you the tree of immortality and power that never decays?’

وَلَقَدۡ خَلَقۡنَا ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ وَنَعۡلَمُ مَا تُوَسۡوِسُ بِهِۦ نَفۡسُهُۥۖ وَنَحۡنُ أَقۡرَبُ إِلَيۡهِ مِنۡ حَبۡلِ ٱلۡوَرِيدِ

We created man––We know what his soul whispers to him: We are closer to him than his jugular vein––

فَوَسۡوَسَ لَهُمَا ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنُ لِيُبۡدِيَ لَهُمَا مَا وُۥرِيَ عَنۡهُمَا مِن سَوۡءَٰتِهِمَا وَقَالَ مَا نَهَىٰكُمَا رَبُّكُمَا عَنۡ هَٰذِهِ ٱلشَّجَرَةِ إِلَّآ أَن تَكُونَا مَلَكَيۡنِ أَوۡ تَكُونَا مِنَ ٱلۡخَٰلِدِينَ

Satan whispered to them so as to expose their nakedness, which had been hidden from them: he said, ‘Your Lord only forbade you this tree to prevent you becoming angels or immortals,’

from the evil of the slinking whisperer Satan — he is referred to by the name of the action waswasa on account of his repeated engaging in it — who slinks away and recoils from the heart whenever God is mentioned

Say: "I seek refuge with the Lord of An-Nas, (1)"The King of An-Nas, (2)"The God of An-Nas, (3)"From the evil of the whisperer who withdraws. (4)"Who whispers in the breasts of An-Nas. (5)"Of Jinn and An-Nas. (6) These are three attributes from the attributes of the Lord, the Mighty and Majestic. They are lordship, sovereignty and divinity. Thus, He is the Lord of everything, the King of everything and the God of everything. All things are created by Him, owned by Him, and subservient to Him. Therefore, He commands whoever is seeking protection to seek refuge with the One Who has these attributes from the evil of the whisperer who withdraws. This (the whisperer) is the devil that is assigned to man. For verily, there is not any of the Children of Adam except that he has a companion that beautifies wicked deeds for him. This devil will go to any lengths to confuse and confound him. The o

Then Satan whispered to them to show them their shameful parts that were hidden from them. This also is a mark of solicitude and a proof of generosity, for they sinned, but He turned it over to Satan's whispering. Then He increased the solicitude. He said, “to show them their shameful parts that were hidden from them.” He said: “He made their pudenda appear to them, but not to others.” They say that afterwards, Adam and Iblis met. Adam said, “You wretch! Do you know what you did to me and what dust you stirred up in my road?” Iblis said, “O Adam, I take it that I took you from the road. Tell me then, who took me from the road?” They also say that both of them turned away from the command, but there is a difference be- tween the two. Adam slipped because of appetite, and Iblis slipped because of pride. Being pride- ful is worse than satisfying appetite. When a sin arises from appetite, th

And how many — in other words many — a generation namely how many a community from among the communities of the past We have destroyed before them for their denial of Our messengers. Can you see can you find so much as one of them or hear from them so much as the faintest sound? No indeed! So just as We destroyed those folk We shall destroy these Meccans.

Then Satan Iblīs whispered to them that he might manifest reveal to them that which was hidden wūriya based on the verbal form fū‘ila and derives from the infinitive al-muwārā to them of their shameful parts. And he said ‘Your Lord prohibited you from this tree only in aversion lest you become angels malakayn may also be read malikayn or become immortals’ in other words that is the necessary consequence of eating from it as is stated in another verse Shall I guide you to the Tree of Immortality and a kingdom that does not waste away? Q. 20120.

Verily, those who believe and work deeds of righteousness, the Most Gracious will bestow love for them (96)So, We have made this easy in your own tongue, only that you may give glad tidings to those who have Taqwa, and warn with it the people that are Ludda (97)And how many a generation before them have We destroyed! Can you find a single one of them or hear even a whisper of them (98) Allah places Love of the Righteous People in the Hearts Allah, the Exalted, informs about His believing servants, who work righteous deeds – deeds that He is pleased with because they are in accordance with the legislation of Muhammad ﷺ – that He plants love for them in the hearts of His righteous servants. This is something that is absolutely necessary and there is no avoiding it. This has been reported in authentic Hadiths of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in various different ways. Imam Ahmad recorded that

أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، أَحْمَدُ بْنُ شُعَيْبٍ قَالَ أَنْبَأَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ عَلِيٍّ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَاصِمٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي ذِئْبٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي أَسِيدُ بْنُ أَبِي أَسِيدٍ، عَنْ مُعَاذِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، قَالَ أَصَابَنَا طَشٌّ وَظُلْمَةٌ فَانْتَظَرْنَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم لِيُصَلِّيَ بِنَا ثُمَّ ذَكَرَ كَلاَمًا مَعْنَاهُ فَخَرَجَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم لِيُصَلِّيَ بِنَا فَقَالَ ‏"‏ قُلْ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ فَقُلْتُ مَا أَقُولُ قَالَ ‏"‏ ‏{‏ قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ ‏}‏ وَالْمُعَوِّذَتَيْنِ حِينَ تُمْسِي وَحِينَ تُصْبِحُ ثَلاَثًا يَكْفِيكَ كُلَّ شَىْءٍ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

It was narrated from Mu'adh bin 'Abdullah that his father said:"It was raining and dark, and we were waiting for the Messenger of Allah [SAW] to lead us in prayer. Then the Messenger of Allah [SAW] came out to lead us in prayer and he said: 'Say.' I said: 'What should I say?' He said: 'Say: He is Allah, (the) One and Al-Mu'awwadhatain in the evening and in the morning, three times, and that will suffice you against everything

أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي الْقَعْنَبِيُّ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ سُلَيْمَانَ، عَنْ مُعَاذِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ خُبَيْبٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ عُقْبَةَ بْنِ عَامِرٍ الْجُهَنِيِّ، قَالَ بَيْنَا أَنَا أَقُودُ، بِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم رَاحِلَتَهُ فِي غَزْوَةٍ إِذْ قَالَ ‏"‏ يَا عُقْبَةُ قُلْ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ فَاسْتَمَعْتُ ثُمَّ قَالَ ‏"‏ يَا عُقْبَةُ قُلْ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ فَاسْتَمَعْتُ فَقَالَهَا الثَّالِثَةَ فَقُلْتُ مَا أَقُولُ فَقَالَ ‏"‏ ‏{‏ قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ ‏}‏ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ فَقَرَأَ السُّورَةَ حَتَّى خَتَمَهَا ثُمَّ قَرَأَ ‏{‏ قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ الْفَلَقِ ‏}‏ وَقَرَأْتُ مَعَهُ حَتَّى خَتَمَهَا ثُمَّ قَرَأَ ‏{‏ قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ النَّاسِ ‏}‏ فَقَرَأْتُ مَعَهُ حَتَّى خَتَمَهَا ثُمَّ قَالَ ‏"‏ مَا تَعَوَّذَ بِمِثْلِهِنَّ أَحَدٌ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

It was narrated that 'Uqbah bin 'Amir Al-Juhani said:"While I was leading the Messenger of Allah [SAW] on his mount on a military campaign, he said: 'O 'Uqbah, say!' I listened, then he said: 'O 'Uqbah, say!' I listened, then he said it a third time. I said: 'What should I say?' He said: 'Say: He is Allah, (the) One...' and he recited the Surah to the end. Then he recited: 'Say: I seek refuge with (Allah) the Lord of the daybreak...' and I recited it with him until the end. Then he recited: 'Say: I seek refuge with (Allah) the Lord of mankind...' and I recited it with him until the end. Then he said: 'No one ever sought refuge (with Allah) by means of anything like them

حَدَّثَنَا عَبَّاسُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْعَظِيمِ الْعَنْبَرِيُّ، وَغَيْرُ، وَاحِدٍ، قَالُوا حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو دَاوُدَ الطَّيَالِسِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا عِمْرَانُ الْقَطَّانُ، عَنْ قَتَادَةَ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ أَبِي الْحَسَنِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، رضى الله عنه عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ "‏ لَيْسَ شَيْءٌ أَكْرَمَ عَلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى مِنَ الدُّعَاءِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ غَرِيبٌ لاَ نَعْرِفُهُ مَرْفُوعًا إِلاَّ مِنْ حَدِيثِ عِمْرَانَ الْقَطَّانِ وَعِمْرَانُ الْقَطَّانُ هُوَ ابْنُ دَاوَرَ وَيُكْنَى أَبَا الْعَوَّامِ ‏.‏ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ مَهْدِيٍّ، عَنْ عِمْرَانَ الْقَطَّانِ، بِهَذَا الإِسْنَادِ نَحْوَهُ ‏.‏

Abu Hurairah narrated that:The Prophet said: “There is nothing more honorable with Allah [Most High] than supplication.”

حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مَنِيعٍ، حَدَّثَنَا مَرْوَانُ بْنُ مُعَاوِيَةَ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ ذَرٍّ، عَنْ يُسَيْعٍ، عَنِ النُّعْمَانِ بْنِ بَشِيرٍ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏"‏ الدُّعَاءُ هُوَ الْعِبَادَةُ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ ثُمَّ قَرَأََ ‏:‏ ‏(‏وقالَ رَبُّكُمُ ادْعُونِي أَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ عَنْ عِبَادَتِي سَيَدْخُلُونَ جَهَنَّمَ دَاخِرِينَ ‏)‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ ‏.‏ وَقَدْ رَوَاهُ مَنْصُورٌ وَالأَعْمَشُ عَنْ ذَرٍّ وَلاَ نَعْرِفُهُ إِلاَّ مِنْ حَدِيثِ ذَرٍّ ‏.‏ هُوَ ذَرُّ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الْهَمْدَانِيُّ ثِقَةٌ وَالِدُ عُمَرَ بْنِ ذَرٍّ ‏.‏

An-Nu`man bin Bashir narrated that:The Prophet said: “The supplication, is worship.” Then he recited: And Your Lord said: “Call upon me, I will respond to you. Verily, those who scorn My worship, they will surely enter Hell humiliated

وتختلف شدة الصبر في آحاد المعاصي باختلاف داعية تلك المعصية في قوتها وضعفها وأيسر من حركة اللسان حركة الخواطر باختلاف الوساوس فلا جرم يبقى حديث النفس في العزلة ولا يمكن الصبر عنه أصلا إلا بأن يغلب على القلب هم آخر في الدين يستغرقه كمن أصبح وهمومه هم واحد والا فإن لم يستعمل الفكر في شيء معين لم يتصور فتور الوسواس عنه

فهذا منهاج العلاج في جميع انواع الصبر ولا يمكن استيفاؤه وانما اشدها كف الباطن عن حديث النفس وانما يشتد ذلك على من تفرغ له بأن قمع الشهوات الظاهرة وآثر العزلة وجلس للمراقبة والذكر والفكر فإن الوسواس لا يزال يجاذبه من جانب إلى جانب وهذا لا علاج له البته الا قطع العلائق كلها ظاهرا وباطنا بالفرار عن الأهل والولد والمال والجاه والرفقاء والأصدقاء ثم الاعتزال إلى زاوية بعد احراز قدر يسير من القوت وبعد القناعة به ثم كل ذلك لا يكفي ما لم تصر الهموم هما واحدا وهو الله تعالى ثم اذا غلب ذلك على القلب فلا يكفي ذلك مالم لم يكن له مجال في الفكر وسير بالباطن في ملكوت السموات والأرض وعجائب صنع الله تعالى وسائر أبواب معرفة الله تعالى حتى اذا استولى ذلك على قلبه دفع اشتغاله بذلك مجاذبة الشيطان ووسواسه وإن لم يكن له سير بالباطن فلا ينجيه الا الأوراد المتواصلة المترتبة في كل لحظة من القراءة والاذكار والصلوات ويحتاج مع ذلك إلى تكليف القلب الحضور فان الفكر بالباطن هو الذي يستغرق القلب دون الاوراد الظاهرة ثم اذ

فالأنبياء والأولياء انكشف لهم الأمر وفاض على صدورهم النور لا بالتعلم والدراسة والكتابة للكتب بل بالزهد في الدنيا والتبري من علائقها وتفريغ القلب من شواغلها والإقبال بكنه الهمة على الله تعالى فمن كان لله كان الله له وزعموا أن الطريق في ذلك أولا بانقطاع علائق الدنيا بالكلية وتفريغ القلب منها وبقطع الهمة عن الأهل والمال والولد والوطن وعن العلم والولاية والجاه بل يصير قلبه إلى حالة يستوي فيها وجود كل شيء وعدمه ثم يخلو بنفسه في زواية مع الاقتصار على الفرائض والرواتب ويجلس فارغ القلب مجموع الهم ولا يفرق فكره بقراءة قرآن ولا بالتأمل في تفسير ولا بكتب حديث ولا غيره بل يجتهد أن لا يخطر بباله شيء سوى الله تعالى فلا يزال بعد جلوسه في الخلوة قائلا بلسانه الله الله على الدوام مع حضور القلب حتى ينتهي إلى حالة يترك تحريك اللسان ويرى كأن الكلمة جارية على لسانه ثم يصبر عليه إلى أن يمحي أثره عن اللسان ويصادف قلبه مواظبا على الذكر ثم يواظب عليه إلى أن يمحي عن القلب صورة اللفظ وحروفه وهيئة الكلمة ويبقى معنى

فقوم قصر بهم عن الإتيان بواجبات الطهارة وقوم تجاوز بهم إلى مجاوزة الحد بالوسواس

وعلى القولين اختلافهم في وجوب الإعادة على من غلب عليه الوسواس في صلاته فأوجبها ابن حامد من أصحاب أحمد وأبو حامد الغزالي في إحيائه ولم يوجبها أكثر الفقهاء

قوله علما يقطع الريبة ولا يشوبه حيرة هذا حق فان المعرفة متى شابها ريبة أو حيرة لم تكن معرفة صحيحة كما أن رؤية العين لو شابها ذلك لم تكن رؤية تامة فالمعرفة ما قطع الشك والريبة والوسواس

Whole-brain mechanism of neurofeedback therapy: predictive modeling of neurofeedback outcomes on repetitive negative thinking in depression.: Real-time fMRI neurofeedback (rtfMRI-NF) has emerged as a promising intervention for psychiatric disorders, yet its clinical efficacy remains underexplored due to an incomplete mechanistic understanding. This study aimed to delineate the whole-brain mechanisms underpinning the effects of rtfMRI-NF on repetitive negative thinking in depression. In a double-blind randomized controlled trial, forty-three depressed individuals underwent NF training targeting the functional connectivity (FC) between

The effects of cognitive-behavior therapy for depression on repetitive negative thinking: A meta-analysis.: It is not clear if treatments for depression targeting repetitive negative thinking (RNT: rumination, worry and content-independent perseverative thinking) have a specific effect on RNT resulting in better outcomes than treatments that do not specifically target rumination. We conducted a systematic search of PsycINFO, PubMed, Embase and the Cochrane library for randomized trials in adolescents, adults and older adults comparing CBT treatments for (previous) depression with control groups or wit

Shedding light on the association between repetitive negative thinking and deficits in cognitive control - A meta-analysis.: Individuals who experience recurrent negative thoughts are at elevated risk for mood and anxiety disorders. It is thus essential to understand why some individuals get stuck in recurrent negative thinking (RNT), whereas others are able to disengage eventually. Theoretical models propose that individuals high in recurrent negative thinking suffer from deficits in controlling the contents of working memory. Empirical findings, however, are inconclusive. In this meta-analysis, we synthesize finding

Effects of modifying interpretation bias on transdiagnostic repetitive negative thinking.: Objective: Repetitive negative thinking (RNT; e.g., worry and rumination) is common across emotional disorders, as is the tendency to generate negative interpretations (interpretation bias). Ameliorating negative interpretations via cognitive bias modification of interpretations (CBM-I) reduces worry/rumination, and improves mood in people diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) or depression. We investigated whether these findings generalize to high worry or rumination populations, ir

Worry and rumination: do they prolong physiological and affective recovery from stress?: Background: Anxiety and depression have been linked to repetitive negative self-regulation styles in the form of worry and rumination respectively. Following predictions of the metacognitive model [Wells, A., & Matthews, G. (1994). Attention and emotion: A clinical perspective. Hove: Erlbaum], the current study compared the effect on recovery from stress of three strategies: worry, rumination, and distraction using a stress exposure paradigm. It was predicted that worry and/or rumination would b

The association between worry and rumination with sleep in non-clinical populations: a systematic review and meta-analysis.: Associations have been found between perseverative cognition (PC: worry and rumination) and somatic markers of ill-health. Further studies have reported associations between sleep and both PC and poorer health. As such, sleep disturbance may represent a pathway between PC and ill-health. Therefore, studies assessing the relationship between PC and sleep in non-clinical populations were synthesised. Meta-analyses (k = 55) revealed small- to medium-sized associations between higher PC and poorer s

Thinking too much: rumination and psychopathology

Patients suffering from mental health problems often complain about thinking too much. Their mind is frequently focused on negative thoughts about their symptoms, problems, or negative experiences. Traditionally, researchers and clinicians have either regarded this type of rumination as an epiphenomenon or consequence of suffering from mental health problems, or – as in the case of cognitive therapy – have mostly been interested in the content of these thoughts. However, there is increasing evidence suggesting that rumination, defined as a process of repetitive negative thinking, is a causal mechanism involved in the development and maintenance of psychopathology1. The vast majority of research on rumination has been conducted in the context of depression. In her seminal response styles theory, S. Nolen-Hoeksema introduced rumination as a way of responding to depressed mood that is chara…

matched on repetitive negative thinking (text), rumination (text)

Examining the roles of metacognitive beliefs and maladaptive aspects of perfectionism in depression and anxiety.

Background: Metacognition and perfectionism are factors found to be associated with both anxiety and depression. A common component that underlies these factors is the influence of perseverance, or the tendency to continue a behaviour or thought even if it is no longer productive. Aims: This study aimed to investigate the relationships between metacognitive beliefs with maladaptive aspects of perfectionism (i.e. perseverance behaviours), and their relation to anxiety and depression. Method: Participants (n = 1033) completed six self-report questionnaires measuring metacognitive beliefs about rumination and worry, perseverance, anxiety and depression. Data were analysed using correlational testing, and structural equation modelling. Results: Results of structural equation modelling revealed that positive metacognitive beliefs about repetitive negative thinking increased the likelihood to …

matched on repetitive negative thinking (text), rumination (text)

Neural Correlates of Cognitive-Attentional Syndrome: An fMRI Study on Repetitive Negative Thinking Induction and Resting State Functional Connectivity.

Aim: Cognitive-attentional syndrome (CAS) is the main factor underlying depressive and anxiety disorders in the metacognitive approach to psychopathology and psychotherapy. This study explore neural correlates of this syndrome during induced negative thinking, abstract thinking, and resting states. Methods: n = 25 people with high levels of CAS and n = 33 people with low levels of CAS were chosen from a population-based sample (N = 1225). These groups filled-in a series of measures of CAS, negative affect, and psychopathology; they also underwent a modified rumination induction procedure and a resting state fMRI session. Resonance imaging data were analyzed using static general linear model and functional connectivity approaches. Results: The two groups differed with large effect sizes on all used measures of CAS, negative affect, and psychopathology. We did not find any group difference…

matched on repetitive negative thinking (text), rumination (text)

Could repetitive negative thinking interfere with corrective learning? The example of anorexia nervosa.

Identifying processes that may interfere with corrective learning during treatments for anorexia nervosa (AN) may help to improve the effectiveness of existing interventions. We propose that certain cognitive processes characteristic of the AN temperament may help explain previous findings in AN suggesting difficulty updating previously learned associations and learning from feedback. Specifically, we hypothesize that engagement in repetitive negative thinking (RNT), including worry and rumination, could interfere with corrective learning that is critical to the success of behavioral treatments. In doing so, we draw from existing work in anxiety and mood disorders linking RNT to the maintenance of symptoms and poorer response to cognitive-behavioral treatments. Next, we outline hypothesized mechanisms through which engagement in RNT before, during, and after exposure to aversive stimuli …

matched on repetitive negative thinking (text), rumination (text)

Mindfulness Meditation Targets Transdiagnostic Symptoms Implicated in Stress-Related Disorders: Understanding Relationships between Changes in Mindfulness, Sleep Quality, and Physical Symptoms.

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is an 8-week meditation program known to improve anxiety, depression, and psychological well-being. Other health-related effects, such as sleep quality, are less well established, as are the psychological processes associated with therapeutic change. This prospective, observational study (n = 213) aimed to determine whether perseverative cognition, indicated by rumination and intrusive thoughts, and emotion regulation, measured by avoidance, thought suppression, emotion suppression, and cognitive reappraisal, partly accounted for the hypothesized relationship between changes in mindfulness and two health-related outcomes: sleep quality and stress-related physical symptoms. As expected, increased mindfulness following the MBSR program was directly correlated with decreased sleep disturbance (r = -0.21, p = 0.004) and decreased stress-related physi…

matched on perseverative cognition (text), rumination (text)

Evidence for Transdiagnostic Repetitive Negative Thinking and Its Association with Rumination, Worry, and Depression and Anxiety Symptoms: A Commonality Analysis.

Recent theoretical advances have emphasized the commonality between rumination and worry, often referred to as repetitive negative thinking. Although not studied extensively, repetitive negative thinking may not only account for a substantial overlap between depression and anxiety symptoms but also encapsulate other constructs including one's tendency to experience unwanted intrusive thoughts or have low levels of mindfulness. In this study, 643 college students completed self-report questionnaire measures of repetitive negative thinking (the Habit Index of Negative Thinking) and other relevant constructs including rumination, worry, depression and anxiety symptoms, intrusive thoughts, and mindfulness. To analyze the data, we conducted systematic commonality analyses, which algebraically decomposed shared variances among these measures into various unique components. Results in Study 1 i…

matched on repetitive negative thinking (text), rumination (text)

Emotion Regulation and the Transdiagnostic Role of Repetitive Negative Thinking in Adolescents with Social Anxiety and Depression.

Social anxiety and depression are common mental health problems among adolescents and are frequently comorbid. Primary aims of this study were to (1) elucidate the nature of individual differences in specific emotion regulation deficits among adolescents with symptoms of social anxiety and depression, and (2) determine whether repetitive negative thinking (RNT) functions as a transdiagnostic factor. A diverse sample of adolescents (N = 1065) completed measures assessing emotion regulation and symptoms of social anxiety and depression. Results indicated that adolescents with high levels of social anxiety and depression symptoms reported decreased emotional awareness, dysregulated emotion expression, and reduced use of emotion management strategies. The hypothesized structural model in which RNT functions as a transdiagnostic factor exhibited a better fit than an alternative model in which…

matched on repetitive negative thinking (text), rumination (text)

Cognitive and affective trait and state factors influencing the long-term symptom course in remitted depressed patients.

Background: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is characterized by a high risk for relapses and chronic developments. Clinical characteristics such as residual symptoms have been shown to negatively affect the long-term course of MDD. However, it is unclear so far how trait repetitive negative thinking (RNT) as well as cognitive and affective momentary states, the latter experienced during daily-life, affect the long-term course of MDD. Method: We followed up 57 remitted depressed (rMDD) individuals six (T2) and 36 (T3) months after baseline. Clinical outcomes were time to relapse, time spent with significant symptoms as a marker of chronicity, and levels of depressive symptoms at T2 and T3. Predictors assessed at baseline included residual symptoms and trait RNT. Furthermore, momentary daily life affect and momentary rumination, and their variation over the day were assessed at baseline us…

matched on repetitive negative thinking (text), rumination (text)

Neurobiological substrates of cognitive rigidity and autonomic inflexibility in generalized anxiety disorder.

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is characterized by difficulties in inhibiting both perseverative thoughts (worry and rumination) and autonomic arousal. We investigated the neurobiological substrates of such abnormal inhibitory processes, hypothesizing aberrant functional coupling within 'default mode' (DMN) and autonomic brain networks. Functional imaging and heart rate variability (HRV) data were acquired from GAD patients and controls during performance of three tracking tasks interspersed with a perseverative cognition (PC) induction. After detection of infrequent target stimuli, activity within putative DMN hubs was suppressed, consistent with a redirection of attentional resources from internal to external focus. This magnitude of activity change was attenuated in patients and individuals with higher trait PC, but was predicted by individual differences in HRV. Following the ind…

matched on perseverative cognition (text), rumination (text)

Neurostructural abnormalities associated with axes of emotion dysregulation in generalized anxiety.

Background: Despite the high prevalence of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and its negative impact on society, its neurobiology remains obscure. This study characterizes the neurostructural abnormalities associated with key symptoms of GAD, focusing on indicators of impaired emotion regulation (excessive worry, poor concentration, low mindfulness, and physiological arousal). Methods: These domains were assessed in 19 (16 women) GAD patients and 19 healthy controls matched for age and gender, using questionnaires and a low demand behavioral task performed before and after an induction of perseverative cognition (i.e. worry and rumination). Continuous pulse oximetry was used to measure autonomic physiology (heart rate variability; HRV). Observed cognitive and physiological changes in response to the induction provided quantifiable data on emotional regulatory capacity. Participants unde…

matched on perseverative cognition (text), rumination (text)

Alterations in Amygdala-Prefrontal Functional Connectivity Account for Excessive Worry and Autonomic Dysregulation in Generalized Anxiety Disorder.

Background: Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is characterized by the core symptom of uncontrollable worry. Functional magnetic resonance imaging studies link this symptom to aberrant functional connectivity between the amygdala and prefrontal cortex. Patients with GAD also display a characteristic pattern of autonomic dysregulation. Although frontolimbic circuitry is implicated in the regulation of autonomic arousal, no previous study to our knowledge combined functional magnetic resonance imaging with peripheral physiologic monitoring in these patients to test the hypothesis that core symptoms of worry and autonomic dysregulation in GAD arise from a shared underlying neural mechanism. Methods: We used resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging and the measurement of parasympathetic autonomic function (heart rate variability) in 19 patients with GAD and 21 control subjects to …

matched on perseverative cognition (text), rumination (text)

Trait rumination predicts onset of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder through trauma-related cognitive appraisals: A 4-year longitudinal study.

Trauma-related rumination and worry predict chronic PTSD. This study examined whether habitual rumination and worry measured prior to trauma exposure make persons more vulnerable to the onset of PTSD, presumably because habitual ruminators and worriers will be more prone to cognitively appraise trauma exposure in a negative way. A sample of 2981 adults aged 18-65, consisting of healthy controls and persons with past or current depressive and/or anxiety disorders were assessed at baseline and at follow-up four years later (n = 2402). At follow-up, 359 participants reported exposure to a traumatic event during the last four years of whom 52 (14.4%) had developed PTSD. Pre-trauma self-reported depression severity and trait rumination - but not trait worry-predicted onset of PTSD during follow-up, controlling for demographic and clinical history variables, as well as psychiatric diagnoses at…

matched on repetitive negative thinking (text), rumination (text)

Cognitive, behavioral, and autonomic correlates of mind wandering and perseverative cognition in major depression.

Autonomic dysregulation has been hypothesized to play a role in the relationships between psychopathology and cardiovascular risk. An important transdiagnostic factor that has been associated with autonomic dysfunction is perseverative cognition (PC), mainly present in Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) in the form of rumination. As the ability to adaptively let our mind wander without ruminating is critical to mental health, this study aimed to examine the autonomic concomitants of functional vs. dysfunctional intrusive thoughts in MDD. Ambulatory heart rate (HR) and variability (HRV) of 18 MDD subjects and 18 healthy controls were recorded for 24 h. Approximately every 30 min during waking hours subjects reported their ongoing thoughts and moods using electronic diaries. Random regression models were performed. Compared to controls, MDD subjects were more often caught during episodes of P…

matched on perseverative cognition (text), rumination (text)

Differentiating Worry and Rumination: Evidence from Heart Rate Variability During Spontaneous Regulation.

Worry is the defining feature of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), and rumination is a central process in depression. GAD and depression are highly comorbid, and worry and rumination reflect similar perseverative cognitive processes. Prior studies have largely assessed these emotion regulation strategies at the trait level, which has resulted in a limited understanding of their phasic characteristics, including associated physiological processes. We addressed this limitation by examining the relationship between spontaneous state-level worry and rumination and heart rate variability (HRV)-a physiological measure of emotion regulation-in response to emotion-eliciting film clips. We found differential associations between worry and rumination in relation to HRV, such that, worry was more consistently associated with HRV across emotional contexts than rumination was. Findings highlight fu…

matched on perseverative cognition (text), rumination (text)

Academics' experiences of a respite from work: effects of self-critical perfectionism and perseverative cognition on postrespite well-being.

This longitudinal study examined relations between personality and cognitive vulnerabilities and the outcomes of a respite from work. A sample of 77 academic employees responded to week-level measures of affective well-being before, during, and on 2 occasions after an Easter respite. When academics were classified as being either high or low in a self-critical form of perfectionism (doubts about actions), a divergent pattern of respite to postrespite effects was revealed. Specifically, during the respite, the 2 groups of academics experienced similar levels of well-being. However, during postrespite working weeks, the more perfectionistic academics reported significantly higher levels of fatigue, emotional exhaustion, and anxiety. The greater deterioration in well-being experienced by perfectionist academics when first returning to work was mediated by their tendency for perseverative co…

matched on perseverative cognition (text), rumination (text)

Dimensions of Negative Thinking and the Relations with Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety in Children and Adolescents.

The current study sought to examine three forms of negative, repetitive thinking in non-clinical children and adolescents aged between 10 and 18. More specifically, this study addressed the degree to which stress-reactive rumination can be differentiated from other forms of repetitive thinking, such as emotion-focused rumination and worry, and the associations between the various indices of repetitive thinking and symptoms of anxiety and depression. Participants completed a battery of self-report questionnaires including measures of stress-reactive rumination, emotion-focused rumination, worry, and symptoms of anxiety and depression. Results showed that stress-reactive rumination, emotion-focused rumination and worry are related but distinct forms of repetitive negative thinking. Positive associations were found between all indices of repetitive thinking and symptoms of depression and an…

matched on repetitive negative thinking (text), rumination (text)

How do cancer patients manage unattainable personal goals and regulate their emotions?

Objectives: This article addressed the role of goal adjustment (i.e. disengagement from unattainable goals and reengagement in alternative goals) and cognitive emotion-regulation strategies (i.e. rumination, catastrophizing, positive refocusing) in cancer patients' psychological well-being. We expected that patients who are better able to disengage from unattainable goals, identify alternative goals, and regulate their emotions by positive refocusing and not engaging in rumination and catastrophizing would experience less negative and more positive affect. Design: In this cross-sectional study, data were collected using a self-report questionnaire. Methods: Cancer patients (N=108) were recruited on a psychoeducational meeting aimed to inform them about the illness and its consequences. To examine the relationships between goal adjustment, cognitive emotion-regulation strategies, and affe…

matched on repetitive negative thinking (text), rumination (text)

From low sense of control to problematic smartphone use severity during Covid-19 outbreak: The mediating role of fear of missing out and the moderating role of repetitive negative thinking.

Since the outbreak of Covid-19, the use of digital devices, especially smartphones, remarkably increased. Smartphone use belongs to one's daily routine, but can negatively impact physical and mental health, performance, and relationships if used excessively. The present study aimed to investigate potential correlates of problematic smartphone use (PSU) severity and the mechanisms underlying its development. Data of 516 smartphone users from Germany (Mage = 31.91, SDage = 12.96) were assessed via online surveys in April and May 2021. PSU severity was significantly negatively associated with sense of control. In contrast, it was significantly positively linked to fear of missing out (FoMO), repetitive negative thinking (RNT), and daily time spent on smartphone use. In a moderated mediation analysis, the negative relationship between sense of control and PSU severity was significantly media…

matched on repetitive negative thinking (text), Thinking (mesh)

Post-event processing in social anxiety disorder: Examining the mediating roles of positive metacognitive beliefs and perceptions of performance.

Background: Post-event processing (PEP) is defined as repetitive negative thinking following anxiety provoking social events. PEP is thought to maintain anxiety symptoms in Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) but little is known about the specific factors that contribute to the maintenance of PEP. Aims: The current study investigated how perceptions of performance and positive metacognitive beliefs might contribute to the persistence of PEP. Method: Participants with SAD (n = 24) as well as anxious (n = 24) and healthy (n = 25) control participants completed a standardized social performance task in the lab. Their engagement in PEP and perceptions of performance were assessed in the week that followed. Results: Immediately following the social task, individuals with SAD rated their performance more negatively and endorsed a greater number of positive metacognitive beliefs about PEP than did pa…

matched on repetitive negative thinking (text), Thinking (mesh)

Sleep disruption is related to poor response inhibition in individuals with obsessive-compulsive and repetitive negative thought symptoms.

Background and objectives: Obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms and repetitive negative thinking (RNT) are associated with poor inhibitory control. Sleep disruptions may partially mediate these relations and/or act as a "second hit" to individuals with OC symptoms and RNT. Models including habitual (past month) hours slept and bedtimes were tested. Methods: We employed a go/no-go task that allowed us to examine the relation between sleep and inhibition with various task contingencies. Sixty-seven unselected individuals were recruited from the participant pool at a public university. Results: Bias-corrected bootstrap estimates did not show that sleep disruption mediated the relation between OC symptoms and response inhibition nor the relation between RNT and response inhibition. Multiple linear regression analyses found significant interactions between hours slept and OC symptom severity an…

matched on repetitive negative thinking (text), Thinking (mesh)

Mechanisms of change during group metacognitive therapy for repetitive negative thinking in primary and non-primary generalized anxiety disorder.

Repetitive negative thinking (RNT) is a transdiagnostic process that serves to maintain emotional disorders. Metacognitive theory suggests that positive and negative metacognitive beliefs guide the selection of RNT as a coping strategy which, in turn, increases psychological distress. The aim of this study was to test the indirect effect of metacognitive beliefs on psychological distress via RNT. Patients (N=52) with primary and non-primary generalized anxiety disorder attended a brief, six-week group metacognitive therapy program and completed measures of metacognitive beliefs, RNT, and symptoms at the first and final treatment sessions, and at a one-month follow-up. Prospective indirect effects models found that negative metacognitive beliefs (but not positive metacognitive beliefs) had a significant indirect effect on psychological distress via RNT. As predicted by metacognitive theor…

matched on repetitive negative thinking (text), Thinking (mesh)

Intolerance of uncertainty and negative metacognitive beliefs as transdiagnostic mediators of repetitive negative thinking in a clinical sample with anxiety disorders.

This study aimed to replicate and extend a hierarchical model of vulnerability to worry, with neuroticism and extraversion as higher-order factors and negative metacognitions and intolerance of uncertainty as second-order factors. The model also included a transdiagnostic measure of repetitive negative thinking (RNT) and depression symptoms as outcome variables to determine whether relationships would extend beyond worry, which has traditionally been studied within the context of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Participants (N=99) were referrals to a specialist anxiety disorders clinic with a principal anxiety disorder who completed a battery of self-report questionnaires assessing neuroticism, extraversion, metacognitions, intolerance of uncertainty, worry, RNT, and depression symptoms. Mediational analyses using bootstrapping provided support for transdiagnostic and diagnosis-speci…

matched on repetitive negative thinking (text), Thinking (mesh)

Pain catastrophizing as repetitive negative thinking: a development of the conceptualization.

Pain catastrophizing is a well-known concept in the pain literature and has been recognized as one of the most powerful psychological determinants of negative outcomes for pain problems. However, relatively little effort has been put into developing its theoretical underpinnings. More specifically, the intrinsic function of catastrophizing is not explicitly dealt with in contemporary theoretical models. The aim of this article is to add to existing models by proposing a development of the conceptualization of catastrophizing that stresses its function as an emotion regulator. We argue that catastrophizing can be conceptualized as a form of negative repetitive thinking, which is abstract, intrusive, and difficult to disengage from. It has been argued that repetitive negative thinking is a form of ineffective problem solving that functions to downregulate negative affect and that it can be…

matched on repetitive negative thinking (text), Thinking (mesh)

Psychometric properties of the Repetitive Thinking Questionnaire in a clinical sample.

Repetitive negative thinking (RNT) is thought to contribute to the maintenance of many emotional disorders. Although several measures of RNT are available, the items of most of these instruments index RNT that is specific to particular diagnostic groups (e.g., RNT about depression symptoms). This has limited our ability to examine the relevance of RNT across diagnostic groups and advance our understanding of RNT as a transdiagnostic process. This study evaluated the psychometric properties of the Repetitive Thinking Questionnaire (RTQ), a transdiagnostic measure of RNT. In a clinical sample of individuals with anxiety and depressive disorders (N = 186), the RTQ demonstrated good internal consistency, convergent, and divergent validity. Supporting the transdiagnostic nature of the measure, the Repetitive Negative Thinking subscale of the RTQ was associated with a variety of negative emoti…

matched on repetitive negative thinking (text), Thinking (mesh)

Emotion-specific regulation components differentially predict profiles of adolescent psychosocial dysfunction.

Emotion regulation (ER) difficulties are a transdiagnostic risk factor for adolescent psychopathology, yet research is hampered by high intercorrelations among ER components. This study employed a data-driven approach to identify distinct profiles of adolescent dysfunction and select a parsimonious set of stable emotion-specific regulatory predictors. A sample of 795 Iranian adolescents (68.6% female; Mage = 16.06) completed measures of emotion-specific ER across sadness, fear, and anger (CERSA), psychosocial adjustment (SDQ), pathological traits (PID-5-BF), and disability (WHODAS-12). Person-centered cluster analysis identified dysfunction profiles, and ordinal LASSO penalized regression selected stable ER predictors of cluster membership, with both steps embedded within a full-pipeline bootstrap. Three stable clusters emerged, reflecting a severity gradient: low-, moderate-, and high-d…

matched on rumination (text), Anger (mesh)