Correlates of co-rumination in non-clinical adolescents

Co-rumination involves excessively discussing personal problems with peers. This study examined correlates of co-rumination in a sample of 233 adolescents aged 12-15 years. Participants completed a battery of self-report questionnaires including the Co-rumination Scale. Results first of all showed that the Co-rumination Scale consists of three factors that can be labeled as 'comprehension', 'frequency', and 'detailed information'. Further, results showed that co-rumination, and in particular the factor of comprehension, was positively associated with symptoms of depression under the condition that communication with peers was low. Thus, in the absence of communication with peers, youngsters seem to co-ruminate with their best friend in order to get a better understanding of their problems. This suggests that co-rumination can best be seen as a behavioral coping strategy to deal with depressed mood.