Ruminative thinking styles differentially relate to posttraumatic stress versus growth following trauma exposure.

OBJECTIVE

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating disorder, with a lifetime prevalence of 3.9%. Recent findings suggest that ruminative thinking may play a crucial role in PTSD symptom development. Posttraumatic growth-positive psychological change following adversity-has also been linked to forms of rumination. The goal of this study was to examine the unique interrelations among different ruminative thinking styles, metacognitive beliefs, effortful control, and posttraumatic outcomes through network analysis.

METHOD: Cross-sectional data were collected from two population-representative samples via Academic Prolific, consisting of individuals meeting Criterion A for PTSD (Study 1: N = 361; Study 2: N = 354). Variables included intrusive, deliberate, depressive rumination, positive and negative metacognitive beliefs, need for control, effortful control, posttraumatic growth, and symptom severity. Network analysis was used to model the interrelations among these variables.

RESULTS

The models suggest a central role of depressive rumination, deliberate rumination, and negative beliefs about rumination. The relationship between deliberate rumination and posttraumatic growth was the strongest included in the model. Effortful control was negatively associated with depressive rumination, which could serve as a protective factor. Last, metacognitions also seemed to play an important role, particularly negative beliefs about rumination.

CONCLUSIONS

Different ruminative thinking styles were uniquely linked to PTSD symptomatology. Whereas each style of rumination was linked to increased PTSD symptom severity, deliberate rumination also showed strong associations with posttraumatic growth, suggesting the more adaptive nature of this thinking style. The obtained models elucidate the complex mechanism behind the development of PTSD, and growth, providing insights for future studies. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).