Depressive symptoms in individuals experiencing maternal overcontrol: The specific mediating role of brooding rumination

Parental overcontrol is associated with depressive symptoms and affective vulnerability. A ruminative response style may develop as a coping mechanism for a highly controlling and critical parenting style. The main aim of the current cross-sectional study was to examine the mediating role of brooding and reflective rumination in the association between maternal/paternal overcontrol and depressive symptoms, controlling for potential confounding variables, including adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and clinically relevant anxiety levels. Five-hundred-sixty participants (121 males and 439 females; mean age = 23.65 ± 8.74 years) completed an online survey assessing maternal/paternal overcontrol, rumination, ACEs, depressive and anxiety symptoms. Only the model including maternal overcontrol fit the data and the association with depressive symptoms was mediated only by brooding rumination. This association remained significant even when controlling for relevant confounding factors. Our sensitivity analyses also showed that the association between parental overcontrol and anxiety symptoms was not mediated by either brooding or reflective rumination when clinically relevant depressive levels were included as covariates. Our data support a specific pathway through which maternal overcontrol may promote the development of brooding rumination which, in turn, affects depressive symptoms severity. • We examined the relationship between parental overcontrol and depressive symptoms. • The mediating role of brooding and reflective rumination was tested. • Maternal overcontrol increases depressive symptoms through brooding. • Reflective rumination did not mediate this association. • The model including paternal overcontrol did not fit the data.