TY - JOUR
T1 - From brooding to detachment
T2 - Rumination longitudinally predicts an increase in depersonalization and derealisation
AU - Vannikov-Lugassi, Miriam
AU - Shalev, Hadar
AU - Soffer-Dudek, Nirit
N1 - Funding Information:
This research was supported by the Israel Science Foundation Grant No. 539/13 to N. Soffer‐Dudek. This research was also supported (in part) by the Israel Science Foundation Grant No. 1895/13 to N. Soffer‐Dudek. The foundation had no involvement in the research other than providing financial support.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 The British Psychological Society
PY - 2021/4/1
Y1 - 2021/4/1
N2 - Objectives: Depersonalization–derealization (DEP-DER) is a dissociative experience which is related to psychopathology and distress. Yet, the aetiological factors leading to DEP-DER are not sufficiently clear. In this study, we suggest rumination as one possible antecedent. Thus, the goal of the study was to explore the longitudinal relationship between rumination and DEP-DER. Design: Longitudinal self-report study; mixed clinical and community sample. Methods: The study was conducted on 98 participants, 49 of them were diagnosed with depression, anxiety disorders, or obsessive–compulsive disorder, and the other 49 were healthy, matched community controls. The participants underwent a structured clinical interview and completed a battery of questionnaires. Then, the participants completed the same battery again once a month, for five additional assessment points (6 months in total). The data were analysed using multilevel linear modelling with time-lag analysis. Results: We found that levels of rumination and DEP-DER increased and decreased simultaneously, meaning that on assessments in which people reported that they tended to ruminate, they also reported higher levels of DEP-DER symptoms. In addition, we found support for a unidirectional association, consistent with our theoretical hypothesis. Specifically, rumination levels on a certain month longitudinally predicted a higher likeliness for reporting DEP-DER on the following month, even when controlling for the contemporaneous relationship. Conversely, DEP-DER symptoms did not longitudinally predict increased rumination. Conclusions: These findings suggest that rumination may be an antecedent of DEP-DER, but not vice versa. Possible mechanisms to explain this link are discussed. Practitioner points: Rumination and DEP-DER oscillate together over time; additionally, rumination predicts a longitudinal increase in DEP-DER. Clinicians noticing ruminative thought followed by decreased emotionality should distinguish between an authentic decrease of distress versus detachment. The findings provide one possible explanation for the frequency of DEP-DER symptoms in anxiety and depressive disorders. Poor sleep quality and emotion regulation difficulties should be explored as potential mediators explaining this link.
AB - Objectives: Depersonalization–derealization (DEP-DER) is a dissociative experience which is related to psychopathology and distress. Yet, the aetiological factors leading to DEP-DER are not sufficiently clear. In this study, we suggest rumination as one possible antecedent. Thus, the goal of the study was to explore the longitudinal relationship between rumination and DEP-DER. Design: Longitudinal self-report study; mixed clinical and community sample. Methods: The study was conducted on 98 participants, 49 of them were diagnosed with depression, anxiety disorders, or obsessive–compulsive disorder, and the other 49 were healthy, matched community controls. The participants underwent a structured clinical interview and completed a battery of questionnaires. Then, the participants completed the same battery again once a month, for five additional assessment points (6 months in total). The data were analysed using multilevel linear modelling with time-lag analysis. Results: We found that levels of rumination and DEP-DER increased and decreased simultaneously, meaning that on assessments in which people reported that they tended to ruminate, they also reported higher levels of DEP-DER symptoms. In addition, we found support for a unidirectional association, consistent with our theoretical hypothesis. Specifically, rumination levels on a certain month longitudinally predicted a higher likeliness for reporting DEP-DER on the following month, even when controlling for the contemporaneous relationship. Conversely, DEP-DER symptoms did not longitudinally predict increased rumination. Conclusions: These findings suggest that rumination may be an antecedent of DEP-DER, but not vice versa. Possible mechanisms to explain this link are discussed. Practitioner points: Rumination and DEP-DER oscillate together over time; additionally, rumination predicts a longitudinal increase in DEP-DER. Clinicians noticing ruminative thought followed by decreased emotionality should distinguish between an authentic decrease of distress versus detachment. The findings provide one possible explanation for the frequency of DEP-DER symptoms in anxiety and depressive disorders. Poor sleep quality and emotion regulation difficulties should be explored as potential mediators explaining this link.
KW - depersonalization
KW - derealisation
KW - dissociation
KW - emotion regulation
KW - rumination
KW - sleep
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85084088495&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/papt.12279
DO - 10.1111/papt.12279
M3 - Article
C2 - 32333727
AN - SCOPUS:85084088495
SN - 1476-0835
VL - 94
SP - 321
EP - 338
JO - Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice
JF - Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice
IS - S2
ER -
