Brooding Rumination and Reflective Pondering in Relation to Stress and Sleep Quality

Greater perceived stress is associated with maladaptive repetitive thinking, which can be divided into worry and rumination. Previous literature found associations between rumination, stress, and sleep quality; however, for the subcomponents of rumination, namely brooding rumination and reflective pondering, only a relationship between brooding rumination and stress has been found in which brooding rumination increases after the occurrence of a stressor. In order to gain more insights into both the relationship of brooding rumination and sleep quality in moderation of academic stress in students, and to exploratively investigate the relationships between brooding rumination and reflective pondering with sleep quality, an online questionnaire using the Ruminative Response Scale, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and the Perception of Academic Stress was used with Leiden university students. The hierarchical multiple linear regression with interaction did not find a moderation...Show moreGreater perceived stress is associated with maladaptive repetitive thinking, which can be divided into worry and rumination. Previous literature found associations between rumination, stress, and sleep quality; however, for the subcomponents of rumination, namely brooding rumination and reflective pondering, only a relationship between brooding rumination and stress has been found in which brooding rumination increases after the occurrence of a stressor. In order to gain more insights into both the relationship of brooding rumination and sleep quality in moderation of academic stress in students, and to exploratively investigate the relationships between brooding rumination and reflective pondering with sleep quality, an online questionnaire using the Ruminative Response Scale, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and the Perception of Academic Stress was used with Leiden university students. The hierarchical multiple linear regression with interaction did not find a moderation effect for academic stress on the relationship between brooding rumination and sleep quality with F(3, 43) = 0.98 p = .413, and both simple linear regressions revealed insignificant results for an association between brooding rumination and reflective pondering with sleep quality with F(1, 44) = 1.35 p = .252 and F(1, 44) = 0.06, p = .803, respectively. Whereas the latter finding may suggest an association of the subcomponents of rumination with sleep quality through the possible mediator depression, the former finding could be depicted in a simple slope analysis that suggested a moderation effect of academic stress after all. The clinical relevance of this study therefore lies on the moderation effect of academic stress and the relationships between rumination, sleep quality, and depression.Show less

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Brooding Rumination and Reflective Pondering in Relation to Stress and Sleep Quality