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Background In order to investigate the relationship between stress-reactive rumination and the implementation of different emotion-regulation strategies (ERS), the pilot study at hand assessed ecological momentary assessment data twice per day from currently depressed patients (n = 21) and healthy controls (n = 23). Methods We analyzed differences in the implementation of ERS (body-based, behavioral, cognitive, social and multiple) and the occurrence of stress, rumination and self-efficacy between the groups as well as associations of ERS implementation at a given time-point and later levels of stress and rumination. Results Overall, patients reported higher subjective stress levels as well as increased ruminative thinking as a response to life stress and, in addition, a more frequent implementation of ERS. Comparing the implementation of ERS, cognitive ERS were implemented most often in the clinical group in comparison to healthy controls. All ERS were associated with increased self-efficacy at the time-point they were implemented. The implementation of cognitive ERS (e.g., reframing) at a given time-point significantly predicted reduced rumination and stress at later time-points. Conclusions Clinical and non-clinical groups seem to differ in their implementation of ERS. While the implementation of all investigated ERS is related to increased coping-efficacy, ERS on a cognitive level seem to be advantageous in reducing stress as well as rumination.

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We aimed to investigate stress-reactive rumination in response to social stress and its association with social anxiety and trait rumination. From previous investigations we know that people with a certain vulnerability to rumination show increased stress-reactive rumination. However, up to date the possible influence of social anxiety on this relationship is still unclear. Therefore, we reanalyzed the data of two of our previous studies assessing healthy low and high trait ruminators and depressed patients performing the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST). We measured cortical oxygenation using functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) as well as different behavioral outcome measures (subjective stress levels, negative affect, state rumination). On a behavioral level, we found an influence of both, social anxiety and trait rumination, on state rumination, even when correcting for the other factor, respectively, implying two potentially independent factors of influence. On a neural level, we observed reduced activation in brain regions of the cognitive control network (CCN) for higher social anxiety and trait rumination, which might be a result of reduced cognitive and attentional control. Results indicate a specific role of social anxiety, at least on a behavioral level, and therefore implicate a crucial factor to be considered in the treatment of depression.

We aimed to investigate the stress-reactive rumination response to social stress and its association with social anxiety and trait rumination. From previous investigations we know that people with a certain vulnerability to rumination show increased stress-reactive rumination. However, up to date the possible influence of social anxiety to this relationship is still unclear. Therefore, we reanalyzed the data of two of our previous studies assessing healthy low and high trait ruminators and depressed patients performing the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST). We measured cortical oxygenation using functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) as well as different behavioral outcome measures (subjective stress levels, negative affect, state rumination). On a behavioral level, we found an influence of both, social anxiety and trait rumination, on state rumination, even when correcting for the other factor, respectively, implying two potentially independent factors of influence. On a neural level, we observed reduced activation in socially anxious subjects in the right inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), as well as time-dependent changes in the left IFG and in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Results indicate a specific role of social anxiety, at least on a behavioral level, and therefore implicate a crucial factor to be considered in the treatment of depression.