Rumination and Moderators of Multifinality: Predicting Internalizing Symptoms and Alcohol Use During Adolescence

Rumination, a perseverative cognitiveprocess that involves repetitively and passively focusing on negative emotions, is a transdiagnostic risk factor for the development of psychopathology. Although ruminationhas been linked to various forms of psychopathologyincluding depression, anxiety, and alcohol misuse, little is known about the conditions that lead to multifinality. Here, we test putative moderators (Nolen-Hoeksema & Watkins, 2011) of the association between ruminationand subsequent internalizing symptoms and frequency of alcohol use during adolescence. Participants included 388 youth (52% girls; 90% Caucasian) in a longitudinal birth cohort study who completed questionnaires in Grades 9 and 11. Brooding, a maladaptiveform of ruminationmeasured in Grade 9, was associated with greater internalizing symptoms in Grade 11 and greater perceived peer rejection in Grade 9 amplified this association. Broodingwas also associated with greater frequency of alcohol use among adolescents who reported hav...