The effect of rumination as a mediator of elevated anxiety sensitivity in major depression

Previous research has found anxiety sensitivity (AS) to be elevated in pers ons with major depression, and a facet of AS referred to as fear of cogniti ve dyscontrol or fear of mental incapacitation has been associated with sev erity of depressed mood. The present study sought to replicate and extend t hese findings in a sample of 142 outpatients with a primary diagnosis of Ma jor Depressive Disorder After statistically controlling for the higher orde r effect of neuroticism, the AS fear of cognitive dyscontrol facet was foun d to be a significant predictor of severity of depressed mood. However, fur ther analysis provided strong evidence that the effect of this AS facet is mediated by rumination over depressed mood. Results are discussed in the co ntext of "depression sensitivity," a proposed cognitive structure that may underlie the cognitive process of rumination over depression symptoms.