Elucidating the links between regret, depressive symptoms, self-critical rumination, attentional control, indecisiveness, and self-esteem: A network perspective

Background: The excessive experience of regret is associated with depressive symptomatology. However, variables that may play a role in the association between regret and depression have not yet been investigated in an integrative manner, and uncertainty remains regarding the interrelations between all these variables. Therefore, the goal of the current study was to examine the interrelations between regret, depressive symptoms, self-critical rumination, attentional control, indecisiveness, and self-esteem through the lens of network analytical framework. Methods: 494 participants (81% female, aged between 18 and 70) completed questionnaires assessing regret, depressive symptoms, self-critical rumination, indecisiveness, and attentional control. A Gaussian graphical model was estimated to evaluate the interrelations between these variables and the strength index was used to gauge centrality. Results: The analyses showed that self-esteem, self-critical rumination and indecisiveness were the most central variables in the network, the latter two linking regret to the other variables in the network. Conclusions: Altogether, our findings offer novel data-driven clues for identification of potential pathways bridging together regret with the risk for depression.