Cross‐Cultural Influences on the Association Between Rumination and Psychopathology: A Systematic Review

Rumination is a transdiagnostic process associated with psychopathology. While culture shapes cognitive and emotion processing, cultural influences on rumination remain unclear. Therefore, this systematic review aimed to examine cultural differences in the association between rumination and psychopathology. To address this aim, we conducted a literature search (May 2024), which identified 24 eligible studies. We conducted an exploratory meta-analysis examining whether cultural group moderated the association between rumination and psychopathology. First, we found cultural differences in the association between rumination and psychopathology under certain conditions. Second, we identified three culture-specific mechanisms that may shape the relationships between rumination and psychopathology: (1) social support was less eroded by rumination in Japanese versus German participants and correlated with weaker rumination-wellbeing associations; (2) self-doubt attributions mediated the association between rumination and depression symptoms in European Americans but not Asians; and (3) happiness levels moderated the relationship between rumination and depression symptoms in European Americans but not Asian Americans. Third, given the limited studies available, meta-analyses could only be conducted comparing Western and Asian samples for depression symptoms. This exploratory analysis highlighted cultural group did not significantly moderate the relationship between rumination and depression. Finally, the review highlighted the scarcity of sufficient studies to draw definitive conclusions about the role of culture in rumination and psychopathology and the need for research focusing on diverse cultural groups, clinical samples and disorder-specific measures of rumination. Advancing this research is crucial for informing the integration of culture into theories of rumination and enhancing cultural tailoring of interventions.