Co-rumination among same-gender attracted women

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine co-rumination as it occurred in same-gender attracted women. Co-rumination involves repeatedly discussing personal issues with another person, specifically without emphasis on problem solving, and has been associated with a number of negative mental health outcomes (Spendelow, Simonds, & Avery, 2017). Specifically, it was predicted that same-gender attracted women would have higher levels of co-rumination, and other forms of rumination, than heterosexual men and women. Additionally, LGBT+ specific facets were explored, including perceived discrimination, internalized homophobia, and LGBT+-specific rumination. Finally, it was predicted that LGBT+ women who have higher levels of co-rumination would also be higher in levels of anxiety, depression, and other negative mental health outcomes. Participants were recruited through university student populations, as well as through Indiana LGBT+ organizations. They completed an online 30-minute survey beginning with a demographics section, followed by a number of scales including the Co- Rumination Questionnaire (Rose, 2002) among others. The results of this study found that there was no difference in scores of co-rumination or other forms of rumination between the three groups. Among the LGB women group, there were positive correlations between co-rumination and perceived stress, between co-rumination and anxiety, and between co-rumination and neuroticism. These findings indicate that among LGB women, though co-rumination could be related to negative mental health outcomes, it may not be something that these individuals seek out as a coping mechanism for stressors specific to their sexual identity.