Understanding associations between rumination and inflammation: A scoping review

A growing body of evidence suggests that rumination, or focused attention on mental representations of negative events, may have physiological consequences that adversely affect long term health. We conducted a scoping review on quantitative studies of humans examining associations between rumination and inflammation, which included 13 studies representing 14 samples and 1,102 unique participants. The review included 8 biomarkers measured in plasma, serum and saliva (C reactive protein, and C-C motif chemokine 11, interleukin (IL)- 1β, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10 and tumor necrosis factor alpha). More consistent findings of an association between greater rumination and increased inflammation were found in studies that used experimental designs and manipulated rumination. Emerging research suggests rumination may interact with other factors (e.g., socioeconomic status, anxiety) to predict inflammation. This review offers an up to date synthesis of the emerging research focused on rumination and inflammation. The relationship between inflammation and rumination may be contingent on how rumination is conceptualized and measured, as well as the measure of inflammation (i.e., at rest/ in response to stress).