Investigating cultural influences on the associations between rumination and symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder among European Australian and Chinese Australian trauma survivors

Abstract

This study investigated the moderating effect of cultural variables (cultural group, self-construal and cognitive style) on the association between rumination and PTSD symptoms among European Australian and Chinese Australian adult trauma survivors. European Australian (n = 111) and Chinese Australian (n = 111) trauma survivors were recruited through social media advertisements on Facebook, WeChat and RED and completed an on-line questionnaire assessing rumination, cultural variables and PTSD symptomatology. There was no evidence that cultural group moderated the associations between brooding and PTSD symptomatology. interdependent self-construal moderated the associations between all three types of rumination and PTSD symptomatology, such that the association between each type of rumination (brooding, reflection and trauma-specific) and PTSD symptomatology increased at higher levels of interdependence. These findings highlight the importance of considering rumination regardless of the cultural background of trauma survivors. Additionally, it may be clinically beneficial to consider the impacts of trauma and rumination on interdependent aspects of the self and consider the socio-cultural context (including an individual’s values and self-concept). Further research is crucial for integrate cross-cultural psychology theories and empirical research to better conceptualize rumination and its role in maintaining psychopathology in Asian contexts.