This study examined the relationship between rumination and mental health among university students by testing the mediating roles of depression and anxiety. Rumination refers to a repetitive and passive focus on negative experiences and emotions that may influence psychological functioning. A quantitative correlational design was employed. A total of 113 students completed the Ruminative Response Scale (RRS), Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), and General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). Parallel mediation analysis indicated that rumination significantly predicted depression (β = .6197, p < .001) and anxiety (β = .5830, p < .001). Depression significantly predicted mental health (β = .2893, p = .025), whereas anxiety was not a significant predictor (β = .1186, p = .343). The direct effect of rumination on mental health was not significant (β = −.0940, p = .427), nor was the total effect (β = .1544, p = .098). However, the indirect effect through depression was significant (β = .1793, p = .031; 95% CI [.00464, .0957]), whereas the indirect path through anxiety was not significant (β = .0692, p = .347). These findings indicate that depression fully mediates the relationship between rumination and mental health. Thus, the influence of rumination on students’ mental health primarily operates through increased depressive symptoms.
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