How Rumination-Focused CBT Can Change the Brain
Our RFCBT research team presented at the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies in Philadelphia this past November - we flew in from England, Oregon, Utah, Ohio, and Michigan. Go team science!
What Is Rumination?
Rumination is often what people mean when they say they are “overthinking.” Rumination refers to the mental habit of repeatedly dwelling on negative thoughts, problems, or emotions. While reflection can sometimes help us learn from experiences, rumination tends to keep the brain stuck in loops of overthinking that worsen mood and make it harder to move forward. For adolescents especially, rumination has been strongly linked with increased risk for depression and suicidal thinking. Learning how to interrupt rumination patterns is crucial for good mental health.
New Research on Rumination and the Teenage Brain
You’ve heard me talk about my research before and I wanted to share our recent publication in the Journal of Affective Disorders advancing the scientific understanding of rumination (overthinking), how it functions in the brain, and how we can change it.
We found that by delivering ~12 sessions of CBT focused on changing the mental habit of rumination, we also changed the way teenagers' brains reacted when we asked them to ruminate in a fMRI scanner, which reduced the risk for ongoing depression and suicidality.
In other words, changing thinking habits wasn’t just reflected in how teens reported feeling, it was visible in the brain.
The study also established the reliability of the fMRI task so that other researchers can use it to study unhelpful thinking patterns among adolescents. Reliable tasks like this are important because they allow scientists across institutions to study how the brain responds to specific mental processes like rumination, helping build stronger evidence for effective treatments.
If you want an easy-to-read blog post about rumination-focused CBT and a downloadable worksheet, head over to our website here.
What Is Rumination-Focused CBT?
Rumination-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (RFCBT) is a therapy approach designed specifically to target patterns of repetitive negative thinking. Instead of only focusing on the content of thoughts, it focuses on changing the mental habits that keep people stuck in loops of overthinking.
In this therapy, individuals learn to:
Recognize when rumination is happening
Shift attention away from repetitive thinking patterns
Engage in more concrete and flexible thinking
Practice behavioral strategies that interrupt rumination loops
Over time, these strategies help the brain develop new patterns of responding to difficult thoughts and emotions.
Supporting Science and Mental Health Research
Have I mentioned this research was funded by the National Institutes of Mental Health?
I know I've been talking with many of you about how to take specific action rather than ruminate and doomscroll. If you're interested in a list of ways to stand up for science, just reach out.
We are here to support you if you'd like to reduce overthinking. Goodness knows there's a lot to think about these days.
Warmly,
Dr. Rachel and the Well Brain Team