Rumination mediates the relationship between peer alienation and eating pathology in young adolescent girls.

PURPOSE: This study examined whether rumination, the tendency to passively and repeatedly dwell on negative events, mediated the relationship between peer alienation and eating disorder symptoms among adolescent girls.

METHODS

Participants included 101 girls (ages 10-14; 47% Hispanic, 24% African American) who completed questionnaires regarding peer relationships, symptoms of eating pathology, rumination, and depressive symptoms.

RESULTS

Girls who reported experiencing more peer alienation reported a higher degree of pathological eating symptoms. The relationship between peer alienation and eating pathology was mediated by rumination, even after controlling for depressive symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

This study extends previous work indicating that rumination is a cognitive mechanism that may contribute to the development and/or maintenance of eating pathology. The findings suggest that adolescents who feel alienated by their peers might be particularly susceptible to engaging in ruminative thinking that can lead to or exacerbate eating problems.