The Relationship Between Emotional Processing Deficits and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms Among Breast Cancer Patients: The Mediating Role of Rumination

Cognitive activity, manifested as trauma-related ruminative thinking, and deficits in emotional processing are believed to perpetuate the symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The aim of this study was to determine the mediating role of rumination in the relationship between emotional processing difficulties and PTSD symptoms. Data from 60 women aged from 40 to 67 (mean 58.0; SD 6.97) with breast cancer diagnosis were analyzed. The participants completed three questionnaires: the Impact of Event Scale-Revised to assess PTSD symptoms, the Event Related Rumination Inventory to measure intrusive and deliberate rumination, and the Emotional Processing Scale to assess emotional processing deficits. The results reveal positive associations between emotional processing deficits, cancer-related rumination, and PTSD symptoms. Mediation analysis indicated that intrusive rumination plays a mediating role in the relationship between difficulties in emotional processing and PTSD symptoms. The findings highlight the role played by cognitive and emotional processes in the development and maintenance of posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms.