The relationship between childhood trauma and depressive symptoms: the serial mediation role of ruminative thinking and prospective imagery vividness

Some studies have shown that childhood trauma may damage the cognitive function of patients with mood disorders, which is related to the increase of depression. Other studies highlighted that negative expectations for the future and excessive ruminant thinking have an impact on the maintenance or even exacerbation of depressive symptoms. The current study examined the serial mediating role of rumination and prospective imagery vividness between childhood trauma and depressive symptoms. A total of 1711 college students provided self-report data on the childhood trauma questionnaire, the prospective imagery task, ruminative responses scale and patient health questionnaire-9. Data showed that childhood trauma, ruminative thinking and vividness of prospective negative imagery were inversely related to depressive symptoms. The ruminative thinking and prospective negative imagery completely and serially mediated the relation between childhood trauma and depressive symptoms. Additionally, the ruminative thinking and vividness of prospective positive imagery completely and serially mediated the relation between childhood trauma and depressive symptoms. These results suggest that ruminative thinking and prospective imagery vividness exerted a serial mediating effect in the relationship between childhood trauma and depressive symptoms, increasing the risk of depression.