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Relation of Rumination and Distraction with Neuroticism and Extraversion in a Sample of Patients with Major Depression

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Abstract

The relationship between rumination and distraction and Neuroticism (N) and Extraversion (E) was examined in a sample of patients with major depression. Factor analysis of the Response Style Questionnaire produced three factors, one corresponding to distraction and two related to rumination (symptom-focused rumination and self-focused rumination). Neither of the rumination factors nor N were correlated with patient and clinical variables hypothesized to be associated with them. Both E and distraction were associated with treatment outcome. Although the association between E and treatment outcome was preserved after controlling for distraction, the association between distraction and clinical outcome did not hold after controlling for E.

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Bagby, R.M., Parker, J.D.A. Relation of Rumination and Distraction with Neuroticism and Extraversion in a Sample of Patients with Major Depression. Cognitive Therapy and Research 25, 91–102 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1026430900363

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