Rumination and Rejection Sensitivity
A Meta‐Analysis
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22410980 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Lindsey C Stewart (0000-0003-4687-5171, Department of Psychology & Neuroscience Temple University Philadelphia Pennsylvania USA, corresponding author), Samantha D Sorid (0000-0003-4100-1926, Department of Psychology & Neuroscience Temple University Philadelphia Pennsylvania USA), Thomas M Olino (0000-0001-5139-8571, Department of Psychology & Neuroscience Temple University Philadelphia Pennsylvania USA) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 82 |
| Issue | 7 |
| Pages | 1016-1029 |
| Publication date | 2026-07-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Clinical Psychology (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0021-9762 • E-ISSN: 1097-4679 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1002/jclp.70136 |
| PMID | 41915014 |
| OpenAlex | W7144327798 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 75 |
Rumination and rejection sensitivity are positively associated with maladaptive outcomes and have been identified as vulnerability factors for psychological disorders, such as depression and anxiety. These constructs share cognitive features, including negative biases and repetitive self‐focused thinking, though they are described as conceptually distinct. Several studies have evaluated the association between these constructs, although there is no consensus on the degree of overlap across findings. The present meta‐analytic study examined the relationship between rumination and rejection sensitivity across 21 studies ( N = 6868) and examined potential moderators that may influence the magnitude of the relationship between these constructs. A moderate positive association ( r = 0.43) was found between rumination and rejection sensitivity. The association was not significantly influenced by age, sex, the conceptualization of rumination (sadness/depressive rumination vs. another type of rumination) or the conceptualization of interpersonal functioning (rejection sensitivity vs. interpersonal sensitivity). These findings support that rumination and rejection sensitivity overlap significantly, yet are distinguishable constructs. The evidenced association between these constructs may inform treatment and prevention efforts aimed at reducing psychological vulnerability. It is possible that the estimated association between rumination and rejection sensitivity generalizes across the study and sample features examined; however, it is challenging to draw this conclusion due to limits on predictive power in our moderator analyses. Further research is needed to clarify the association between rumination and rejection sensitivity, particularly over time and across development, and to identify factors that influence the association between these constructs.
Association (psychology) · Cognitive vulnerability · Conceptualization · Interpersonal communication · Interpersonal relationship · Moderation · Rumination · Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes · Optimism, Hope, and Well-being · Perfectionism, Procrastination, Anxiety Studies
Rumination Reconsidered
Development and validation of the anger rumination scale
Reflecting on rumination
A roadmap to rumination
Rumination as a mechanism linking stressful life events to symptoms of depression and anxiety
Gender differences in rumination
Fixed- and random-effects models in meta-analysis.
Reciprocal relations between rumination and bulimic, substance abuse, and depressive symptoms in female adolescents.
Associations between rejection sensitivity and mental health outcomes
Negative life events, cognitive emotion regulation and emotional problems
The role of rumination in depressive disorders and mixed anxiety/depressive symptoms.
The Combination of Estimates from Different Experiments
Rejection Sensitivity and Children's Interpersonal Difficulties
Depression and the response of others.
Outlier and influence diagnostics for meta-analysis
The Perseverative Thinking Questionnaire (PTQ)
Quantifying heterogeneity in a meta‐analysis
Welcome to the Tidyverse
Rethinking Rumination
Conducting Meta-Analyses in R with the metafor Package
The relationship between rejection sensitivity and social anxiety among Chinese college students
Rejection sensitivity and the development of social anxiety symptoms during adolescence
The mediating role of emotion regulation strategies on the association between rejection sensitivity, aggression, withdrawal, and prosociality
Puberty and Transdiagnostic Risks for Mental Health
Rejection Sensitivity in Late Adolescence
Gender differences in responses to depressed mood in a college sample
Self-Silencing and Rejection Sensitivity in Adolescent Romantic Relationships
When does the Gender Difference in Rumination Begin? Gender and Age Differences in the Use of Rumination by Adolescents
Responses to depression and their effects on the duration of depressive episodes
Implications of rejection sensitivity for intimate relationships
A prospective study of depression and posttraumatic stress symptoms after a natural disaster
Effects of self-focused rumination on negative thinking and interpersonal problem solving
Self-perpetuating properties of dysphoric rumination
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |