Linking Maternal Socialization of Emotion Regulation to Adolescents Co-rumination With Peers

Although co-rumination is a risk factor for adolescent psychopathology, it is still unclear how this interpersonal tendency develops. Parental responses to adolescents’ negative affect likely shape how youth utilize peer relationships to regulate distress. On the one hand, nonsupportive parental responses to adolescents’ negative emotions may drive them to seek peer support via co-ruminating. Conversely, high levels of supportive parental responses are socially rewarding in ways that may reinforce support-seeking with peers in similar ways (leading to greater co-rumination). Eighty-nine healthy adolescents (9-17) and their mothers completed surveys and a support-seeking interaction. Only supportive maternal responses, including observed maternal affection, were associated with adolescents’ co-rumination. These analyses indicate that some forms of parental support may inadvertently reinforce co-rumination.