Does culture moderate the relationships between rumination and symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder and depression?

Abstract

Brooding rumination is positively associated with symptoms of both depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, non-clinical cross-cultural research indicates that culture may influence these associations. This study aimed to examine the moderating effect of cultural group (Australian versus Malaysian) on the associations between brooding rumination and symptoms of depression and PTSD. European Australians (n = 109) and Malaysians of varying Asian heritages (n = 144) completed an online questionnaire containing the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, PTSD checklist for DSM-5 and the Ruminative Response Scale-Short Form. First, Malaysian participants had higher brooding rumination than Australian participants. Second, higher levels of brooding rumination were positively associated with depression and PTSD symptom severity. Third, contrary to our expectations, cultural group did not moderate the relationships between brooding rumination and symptoms of depression and PTSD. If replicable, these results suggest that existing assessment and treatment approaches that target brooding rumination may apply to Malaysian individuals with depression and PTSD.