The trade‐offs of co‐ruminating with friends: A profile analysis

Abstract

AbstractAdolescents' co‐ruminating with friends has been tied to trade‐offs: having higher quality friendships but experiencing more depressive symptoms. To determine if individual youth experience these trade‐offs, we applied a person‐centered approach to Swedish adolescents' self‐reports of co‐rumination with friends, depressive symptoms, and friend support (n = 2767, aged 12–16, 52% girls; 88% Swedish). We found four latent profiles: Two high in co‐rumination and two low. One high co‐rumination profile exhibited the proposed trade‐offs; the other reported high friendship support and fewer depressive symptoms. Comparisons indicated that the trade‐offs profile were primarily girls and exhibited comparatively more difficulties with stress regulation, conceptions of their parents and themselves, and relations with peers. Focusing on the complexity of co‐rumination could reveal further nuances.