NEUROTICISM AND RUMINATIVE RESPONSE STYLE AS PREDICTORS OF CHANGE IN DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMATOLOGY

Several investigations have demonstrated that neuroticism and ruminati ve response style are associated with increased risk for depression. T he current study examined the effects of neuroticism and ruminative re sponse style on changes in depressive symptoms over an 8- to 10-week i nterval. Analyses indicated that the effects of neuroticism and rumina tive response style were moderated by initial level of depressive symp tomatology. Specifically, neuroticism and ruminative response style pr edicted changes in depressive symptoms more strongly in individuals wh o were initially higher in levels of depression than they did in those with lower initial levels of depressive symptoms These data were cons istent with a path model in which ruminative response style mediated t he effect of neuroticism on depression.