No abstract

Non-marital romantic relationship dissolution is amongst the most stressful life events experienced by young adults. Yet, some individuals experience posttraumatic growth following relationship dissolution. Little is known about the specific and differential contribution of trait-like and event-specific cognitive processing styles to each of these outcomes. A longitudinal design was employed in which trait-like (brooding and reflection) and dissolution-specific (intrusive and deliberate) cognitive processing was examined as predictors of growth (Posttraumatic Growth Inventory) and distress (Breakup Distress Scale) following a recent relationship dissolution. Initially, 148 participants completed measures of trait-like and dissolution-specific cognitive processing, growth, and distress (T1). A subsample completed a seven-month follow-up (T2). Higher frequency of relationship-dissolution intrusive thoughts predicted concurrent distress after accounting for brooding and relationship characteristics. Further, higher brooding and lower reflection predicted higher distress prospectively. Concurrent growth was predicted by both higher brooding and more deliberate relationship-dissolution thoughts. Prospectively, T1 dissolution intrusive thoughts predicted higher T2 deliberate thoughts, and the interaction between these two constructs predicted higher T2 growth. Therefore, deliberately thinking of the dissolution was related to positive psychological outcomes. In contrast, intrusive dissolution cognitions and a tendency for brooding had a mixed (paradoxical) association with psychological adjustment.

Romantic relationship loss is associated with significant psychological distress for emerging adults. Intrusive memories of stressful events are typically associated with symptom severity; however, whether spontaneous positive memories of a relationship breakup may also be related to psychological symptoms has received little attention. We examined links between breakup-specific distress, depressive symptoms, and relationship memories of different valence. Ninety-one emerging adults (M age ¼ 20.13) who had experienced a recent romantic breakup recorded the frequency of positive and negative spontaneous relationship memories in a 4-day online memory diary. Control memories were also recorded. Positive memories were specifically related to breakup distress, whereas negative memories were related to both breakup distress and depression. No such associations were found for the control memories. Experiences of positive memories appear critical for understanding the degree of distress a young person may experience following a breakup. Possible explanations for these findings and similarities with the grief and bereavement literature are discussed.