The Mediating Role of Rumination in the Relationship Between Childhood Trauma and the Severity of Major Depressive Disorder.

OBJECTIVE

It is widely accepted that childhood traumas increase the risk of major depressive disorder (MDD) in adulthood and contribute to the chronicity of the disorder. Various mediating factors are believed to exist in the relationship between childhood trauma and depression. The aim of this study is to investigate the mediating effect of rumination in the relationship between childhood traumatic experiences and MDD in a clinical sample.

METHODS

The sample of this cross-sectional study comprised 94 patients aged 18-65 diagnosed with MDD at the Gülhane Training and Research Hospital Psychiatry Clinic, along with 91 healthy participants. After collecting sociodemographic data, participants completed the Beck Depression Inventory, Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-33, and Rumination Scale. Data were analyzed using appropriate statistical methods.

RESULTS

The analyses indicated that rumination may serve a mediating role in the relationship between childhood trauma and depressive symptoms. Specifically, rumination was predicted by childhood trauma (standardized coefficient=0.44, p<0.001) and served as a predictor of depression (standardized coefficient=0.56, p<0.001). The basic model indicated a significant direct effect between childhood trauma and depression severity (p=0.01, b=0.50), while the mediating model demonstrated both a direct effect (p=0.011, b=0.24) and an indirect effect through rumination (p=0.003, b=0.25).

CONCLUSION

The findings of this study suggest that childhood traumatic experiences may be associated with depression severity, and rumination appears to play a mediating role in this relationship. This highlights the need to address cognitive features and traumatic experiences in developing effective prevention and intervention strategies for depression.