Rumination, Cognitive Distortion, and its Relation to Anxiety and Depression Symptoms

The aim of this study was to examine relationship between rumination, cognitive distortion (failuregeneralization, Exaggeration, and Self Blame), anxiety and depression among university students. The study also attempted to find out the role of rumination, cognitive distortion (failuregeneralization, Exaggeration, and Self Blame) as predictors of anxiety and depression. The sample consisted of 270 Egyptian university students (male=117 with mean of 18.90 and St. = 0.968 and female= 153 with mean of=20.08 and St. = 1.064). The measures used in this study were; rumination response scale, cognitive distortion, Anxiety scale;Beck depression Inventory BDI-II. The result showed significant differences between males and females in Rumination and Anxiety in favor of the female sample and no significant differences were found between the two gender samples in depression, Cognitive distortion (failuregeneralization, Exaggeration, and Self Blame). The results also revealed a positive correlation betweenrumination and cognitive distortion(failuregeneralization, Exaggeration, and Self Blame) and Anxiety and depression symptoms in both male and female samples; ButExaggerationhas positive correlation betweenAnxiety and depression in female only. The findings also suggested that rumination and failure generalization was a significant predictors of Anxiety and depression in both male and female sample.