The stability of the response styles questionnaire rumination scale in a sample of patients with major depression

Response style theory (RST, S. Nolen-Hoeksema, 1991a) posits that ruminative response style (RRS) to depression prolongs and intensifies depressed mood, maintains a current depressive episode, and increases the likelihood of a new (or recurrent) depressive episode. The goal of this investigation was to examine the relative (i.e., retest reliability) and absolute (i.e., mean level change) stability of self- and symptom-focused RRS measured by the Response Style Questionnaire (RSQ; S. Nolen-Hoeksema, 1991b) with 110 patients being treated for major depression. In all patients, both kinds of RRS showed relative stability. In remitted patients, neither kind of RRS showed absolute stability. In currently depressed patients, only self-focused RRS showed absolute stability. On the basis of these results it is proposed that symptom-focused RRS may intensify depressed mood and current depressive episode, as well as predispose to recurrence, whereas self-focused RRS may prolong a current depression and increase the likelihood of a new depressive episode.