Mental Rumination Consequences in Women with Marital Conflicts: A Qualitative Study

Mental rumination is a strong predictor for depression. Depression can damage the marital relationship. Therefore, this study was aimed at investigating the consequences of rumination in women with marital conflicts. This research was carried out qualitatively using thematic analysis method. The sampling method was purposeful and continued until data saturation. The data was obtained from 15 married women who had marital conflicts. To collect data, semi-structured interviews were used. After analyzing the data content, six main categories were obtained, including: symptoms of depression (physical pains, loss of energy, impatience, reduced desire to live, sleep problems and lack of motivation, and lower sexual desires), negative emotions (anger, sadness, hatred, sense of revenge, malice, and anxiety), impulsivity (aggression and lack of control over behavior), lowered efficiency (aggression to children, reduced association with children, and failing to do the household chores), getting caught up in negative association cycles (controversy, criticism, resentment towards spouse), and resentment towards others (reduced communication with others and withdrawal). When the conflict is not resolved, the process of mental rumination is activated in women which leads to consequences such as reduced efficacy in both individual and marital relationships, as well as depression. Depression leads to increased mental rumination and marital conflics.