Understanding the experience of rumination and worry: A descriptive qualitative survey study

Objectives

Rumination and worry have been implicated in the onset, severity, maintenance and relapse risk of depression and anxiety disorders. Despite this, little research has examined individuals' personal experiences of these processes. This study investigates how individuals experience these processes, which will provide insight into these common features of mental disorders and inform the development of an online intervention specifically targeting rumination and worry.

Design

An online qualitative survey was conducted to gain insight into people's personal definitions, experiences with and understandings of rumination and worry.

Methods

Participants answered open- and close-ended questions about their personal understanding of rumination and worry, typical thought content, triggers, frequency, duration and coping strategies. Participant responses were coded into themes. Participants also completed self-report questionnaires of depression, anxiety and stress and repetitive negative thinking.

Results

Two hundred and seven adults completed the online survey (76% female; mean age = 28.2 years, range = 17–71), 51% of whom reported previously experiencing depression and anxiety. All participants were familiar with the concept of worry, whereas 28% of participants indicated they had never heard of rumination. Participants reported most commonly ruminating and/or worrying about personal relationships, past mistakes, negative experiences and conversations/social interactions. The most commonly reported triggers for rumination and/or worry were social situations/interpersonal interactions (25%) and negative events/experiences (24%). Distraction was the most common coping strategy (48%); however, 21% reported being unable to stop themselves from ruminating and/or worrying.

Conclusions

The results provide a unique insight into the personal experiences and understandings of rumination and worry of potential end users of treatment programs targeting these processes.