Understanding the neurocognitive basis of rumination in adolescents

Background: I am interested in a repetitive style of thinking called rumination and its association with adolescent depression.

I aim to understand the neurocognitive underpinnings of rumination and its role as a potential risk factor leading to later depression.

Approach: I will undertake two projects. - Using an established dataset of 2000 young people followed up between the ages of 10 to 24-years, I will explore the cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between aspects of how thinking is controlled, rumination and depression. - I will undertake an experimental study in a school-based sample of adolescents and measure trait levels of rumination in an 11-year-old and 15-year-old age group, reflecting a developmental period known to be important in the maturation of emotion regulation processes and is associated with an increased incidence of depression.

This will also require the development of a computerized task that measures one specific aspect of thinking control (-the ability to disengage attention from no longer relevant information) which will be used to explore the nature of associated cognitive impairment.

Impact: This project will support the future development of novel treatments for adolescent depression, including those that are aimed at the prevention of depression in this age group.