Role of Rumination in the Association between Discrimination and Adolescents’ Mental and Physical Health

Perceived everyday discrimination (PED) is related to depressive symptoms and elevated systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) in adolescents. This is an especially important relation to investigate, as both depressive symptoms and high blood pressure (BP) are acknowledged risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, the mechanisms underlying the relation among these variables is unknown. Based on the Response Style Theory, which supports that engaging in rumination after a stressful event contributes to depressive symptoms, and existing research that shows an association between rumination and increased BP following stressful events, one variable that might underlie this association is a type of rumination called brooding. In the current study, we proposed that brooding but not reflection rumination would mediate the relation of PED with depressive symptoms, SBP, and DBP. Our sample of 65 adolescents (35.4% female) aged 13 to 15 (M = 14.06, SD = 0.55) who identified as Black (50.8%), White (43.1%), and Mixed Race (6.1%) had their BP measured and completed self-reports of PED, rumination, and depressive symptoms. Mediation analyses were conducted for hypothesis testing. Brooding, reflection, and PED were significantly related to depressive symptoms. Further, brooding was a significant mediator between PED and SBP and between PED and DBP, and reflection was a significant mediator between PED and DBP. We found that the relation between these variables may not operate exactly as would be predicted based on extant research, thus highlighting the need for further investigation to minimize CVD risk experienced by members of underrepresented groups.