Repetitive negative thinking in daily life predicts psychopathology: Further validation of an ecological momentary assessment paradigm.

BACKGROUND

Repetitive negative thinking (RNT) is an important transdiagnostic process involved in the development and maintenance of psychopathology. In a previous study, we developed an Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) paradigm to assess RNT in daily life. This study aimed to replicate and extend earlier findings on the reliability and validity of the EMA paradigm, including the prediction of future mental health. In exploratory analyses, the predictive utility of dynamic patterns of RNT, such as stress-reactive RNT, variability, inertia, and instability of EMA-based RNT was investigated.

METHODS

220 students filled out questionnaires (trait RNT, mental health-related measures) and completed the EMA-based RNT assessment five times daily for ten days on smartphones at the start of their semester. At the end of the semester, students filled out the same questionnaires during a high stress period.

RESULTS

The reliability and validity of a process-related RNT scale for use in EMA was confirmed as it showed high reliability within and between persons. Furthermore, EMA-based RNT significantly predicted symptoms of depression and anxiety after three months over and above baseline symptoms and trait RNT. Of the dynamic RNT parameters, RNT instability and variability significantly predicted psychopathology over and above mean EMA-based RNT.

DISCUSSION: Findings support the reliability and validity of the process-related measure of RNT in daily life, but not the hybrid measure. In addition, our results suggest that dynamic patterns of EMA-based RNT enhance the prediction of psychopathology beyond mean EMA-based RNT. Generalizability of findings is limited as a homogenous student sample was tested.