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The Consequences of Habitual Rumination, Expressive Suppression, and Perceived Stress on Mental and Physical Health Among Older Adults

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Background/Objectives: The current study aimed to investigate whether habitual rumination, suppression, and perceived stress predict poor mental and physical health as well as well-being in a group of older adults (aged 50 to 80 years) from a non-clinical community sample. Methods: The current study comprised a cross-sectional survey design with online self-report measures. It was predicted that higher levels of rumination, suppression, and perceived stress would predict lower levels of general health as well as well-being, and heightened levels of depression and anxiety. Results: Findings from the study indicated that both rumination and perceived stress significantly predicted heightened anxiety, heightened depression, and decreased physical health as well as well-being. Conclusions: These results replicate and extend past research on rumination. However, diverging from past research, suppression was not a significant predictor, or correlate, of stress, anxiety, or of general health and well-being; though, suppression did weakly but significantly predict depression.

Source: Geriatrics

DOI: 10.3390/geriatrics10050114

Authors: Eyal Gringart, Rodrigo Becerra, Andrea Smith

Institutions: Edith Cowan University, The University of Western Australia

Language: English

Topic: Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes

Subfield: Experimental and Cognitive Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,172