{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,2]],"date-time":"2026-06-02T05:08:19Z","timestamp":1780376899472,"version":"3.54.1"},"reference-count":59,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,2]],"date-time":"2026-06-02T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1780358400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Psychol."],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The mental health of middle-aged women is a significant public health issue. Based on Response Styles Theory (RST), this study aims to investigate the associations between negative life events (NLEs), rumination, coping styles, and depression among middle-aged Chinese women, and to explore the chain mediation mechanism of rumination and positive coping styles.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 327 middle-aged women aged 35\u201355 (case group:\n                      <jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u202f=\u202f157; control group:\n                      <jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u202f=\u202f170). Assessment tools included the Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), Life Events Scale (LES), Ruminative Response Scale (RRS), Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire (SCSQ), and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Data were analyzed using SPSS 25.0, and the chain mediation effect was tested using the PROCESS macro.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      (1) The case group scored significantly higher than the control group on depression and sleep disturbance. (2) Correlation analysis showed that NLEs, rumination, and positive coping styles (negatively) were all significantly associated with depression and sleep quality (\n                      <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u202f&amp;lt;\u202f0.01). (3) The chain mediation model revealed that NLEs significantly predicted depression (\n                      <jats:italic>\u03b2<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u202f=\u202f0.50,\n                      <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u202f&amp;lt;\u202f0.001). Furthermore, NLEs were associated with depression through the chain mediation path of \u201cRumination \u2192 Positive Coping Style,\u201d where increased rumination predicted decreased positive coping strategies.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Negative life events are closely associated with decreased sleep quality and exacerbated depressive symptoms in middle-aged women. This relationship is mediated by the chain effect of \u201cRumination \u2192 Decreased Positive Coping Style,\u201d suggesting that rumination may interfere with the adoption of positive coping mechanisms. Interventions should prioritize reducing rumination and enhancing positive coping strategies to alleviate depression and improve sleep quality.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2026.1723958","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,2]],"date-time":"2026-06-02T04:28:33Z","timestamp":1780374513000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["The effects of negative life events on depression in middle-aged women: the mediating role of rumination and coping styles"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"17","author":[{"given":"Yue","family":"Zhang","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Xinyue","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Haonan","family":"Yu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hongyan","family":"Jiang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,2]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"217","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cpr.2009.11.004","article-title":"Emotion-regulation strategies across psychopathology: a meta-analytic review","volume":"30","author":"Aldao","year":"2010","journal-title":"Clin. Psychol. Rev."},{"key":"ref2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"231","DOI":"10.1002\/jts.22998","article-title":"Differential correlates of prolonged grief and depression after bereavement in a population-based sample","volume":"37","author":"Ba\u011fcaz","year":"2024","journal-title":"J. Trauma. Stress."},{"key":"ref3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"105","DOI":"10.1016\/j.smrv.2010.12.002","article-title":"Insomnia as a predictor of depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal studies","volume":"135","author":"Baglioni","year":"2011","journal-title":"J. Affect. Disord."},{"key":"ref4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"218","DOI":"10.1016\/j.psyneuen.2016.08.026","article-title":"Metabolic and hormone influences on emotion processing during menopause","volume":"76","author":"Berent-Spillson","year":"2017","journal-title":"Psychoneuroendocrinology"},{"key":"ref5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"131","DOI":"10.1080\/08952841.2018.1537689","article-title":"Complexity of care: stressors and strengths among low-income mother-daughter dyads","volume":"32","author":"Bower","year":"2020","journal-title":"J. Women Aging"},{"key":"ref6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"193","DOI":"10.1016\/0165-1781(89)90047-4","article-title":"The Pittsburgh sleep quality index: a new instrument for psychiatric practice and research","volume":"28","author":"Buysse","year":"1989","journal-title":"Psychiatry Res."},{"key":"ref7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"567","DOI":"10.5664\/jcsm.2752","article-title":"The relation between insomnia symptoms, mood, and rumination about insomnia symptoms","volume":"9","author":"Carney","year":"2013","journal-title":"J. Clin. Sleep Med."},{"key":"ref8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"267","DOI":"10.1037\/0022-3514.56.2.267","article-title":"Assessing coping strategies: a theoretically based approach","volume":"56","author":"Carver","year":"1989","journal-title":"J. Pers. Soc. Psychol."},{"key":"ref9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1330","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2018.01330","article-title":"Gender inequality in household chores and work-family conflict","volume":"9","author":"Cerrato","year":"2018","journal-title":"Front. Psychol."},{"key":"ref10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"122","DOI":"10.12133\/j.issn.1673-4173.2022.03.003","article-title":"Sandwich generation in China: exchange pattern with older parents and educational expenditure on young children","volume":"50","author":"Chen","year":"2022","journal-title":"Asian J. Soc. Sci."},{"key":"ref11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"377","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1741-3737.2008.00488.x","article-title":"Marital conflict, depressive symptoms, and functional impairment","volume":"70","author":"Choi","year":"2008","journal-title":"J. Marriage Fam."},{"key":"ref12","volume-title":"Statistical power Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences","author":"Cohen","year":"1988"},{"key":"ref13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1058","DOI":"10.1023\/a:1007743110992","article-title":"Ruminative coping with depressed mood","volume":"78","author":"Davis","year":"2000","journal-title":"J. Pers. Soc. Psychol."},{"key":"ref14","volume-title":"Stressful life Events and their context","author":"Dohrenwend","year":"1974"},{"key":"ref15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1150","DOI":"10.2307\/2676303","article-title":"Anxiety over finances: a new dimension of inequality in the United States","volume":"81","author":"Drentea","year":"2000","journal-title":"Soc. Sci. Q."},{"key":"ref16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"175","DOI":"10.3758\/BF03193146","article-title":"G*power 3: a flexible statistical power analysis program for the social, behavioral, and biomedical sciences","volume":"39","author":"Faul","year":"2007","journal-title":"Behav. Res. Methods"},{"key":"ref17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"65","DOI":"10.1037\/0021-9010.77.1.65","article-title":"Antecedents and outcomes of work-family conflict: testing a model of the work-family interface","volume":"77","author":"Frone","year":"1992","journal-title":"J. Appl. Psychol."},{"key":"ref18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(24)00478-4","article-title":"Burden of depressive and anxiety disorders in China and its provinces, 1990\u20132021: findings from the global burden of disease study 2021","volume":"403","year":"2024","journal-title":"Br. J. Psychiatry"},{"key":"ref19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"135","DOI":"10.3233\/WOR-141844","article-title":"Economic stress in the workplace: the impact of fear of the crisis on mental health","volume":"51","author":"Giorgi","year":"2015","journal-title":"Work"},{"key":"ref20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"76","DOI":"10.2307\/258214","article-title":"Sources of conflict between work and family roles","volume":"10","author":"Greenhaus","year":"1985","journal-title":"Acad. Manag. Rev."},{"key":"ref21","first-page":"398","article-title":"Review of the sandwich generation: caught between growing children and aging parents","volume":"38","author":"Gullickson","year":"1993","journal-title":"Psyccritiques"},{"key":"ref22","first-page":"281","article-title":"Revision of the ruminative response scale in Chinese undergraduates","volume":"17","author":"Han","year":"2009","journal-title":"Chin. J. Clin. Psychol."},{"key":"ref23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"869","DOI":"10.1016\/S0005-7967(01)00061-4","article-title":"A cognitive model of insomnia","volume":"40","author":"Harvey","year":"2002","journal-title":"Behav. Res. Ther."},{"key":"ref24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"213","DOI":"10.1016\/0022-3999(67)90010-4","article-title":"The social readjustment rating scale","volume":"11","author":"Holmes","year":"1967","journal-title":"J. Psychosom. Res."},{"key":"ref25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"837","DOI":"10.1176\/ajp.156.6.837","article-title":"Causal relationship between stressful life events and the onset of major depression","volume":"156","author":"Kendler","year":"1999","journal-title":"Am. J. Psychiatry"},{"key":"ref26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1047","DOI":"10.1002\/cpp.2066","article-title":"A proposed model of psychodynamic psychotherapy linked to Erik Erikson's eight stages of psychosocial development","volume":"24","author":"Knight","year":"2017","journal-title":"Clin. Psychol. Psychother."},{"key":"ref27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"138","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cpr.2010.08.005","article-title":"Understanding depressive rumination from a cognitive science perspective: the impaired disengagement hypothesis","volume":"31","author":"Koster","year":"2011","journal-title":"Clin. Psychol. Rev."},{"key":"ref28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"284","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2019.00284","article-title":"The relationship between burnout, depression, and anxiety: a systematic review and Meta-analysis","volume":"10","author":"Koutsimani","year":"2019","journal-title":"Front. Psychol."},{"key":"ref29","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"146","DOI":"10.1016\/S2215-0366(16)30263-2","article-title":"Why is depression more common among women than among men?","volume":"4","author":"Kuehner","year":"2017","journal-title":"Lancet Psychiatry"},{"key":"ref30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"141","DOI":"10.1002\/per.2410010304","article-title":"Transactional theory and research on emotions and coping","volume":"1","author":"Lazarus","year":"1987","journal-title":"Eur. J. Personal."},{"key":"ref31","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"348","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyt.2019.00348","article-title":"Relationship between stressful life events and sleep quality: rumination as a mediator and resilience as a moderator","volume":"10","author":"Li","year":"2019","journal-title":"Front. Psych."},{"key":"ref32","first-page":"103","article-title":"Reliability and validity of the Pittsburgh sleep quality index in Chinese adults","volume":"10","author":"Liu","year":"1996","journal-title":"Chin. Ment. Health J."},{"key":"ref33","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"98","DOI":"10.1093\/aje\/kwg103","article-title":"Socioeconomic inequalities in depression: a meta-analysis","volume":"157","author":"Lorant","year":"2003","journal-title":"Am. J. Epidemiol."},{"key":"ref34","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"876","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jad.2006.10.003","article-title":"The role of rumination and worry in the development and maintenance of anxiety and depressive disorders","volume":"27","author":"McLaughlin","year":"2007","journal-title":"Clin. Psychol. Rev."},{"key":"ref35","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1093\/sleep\/zsac207","article-title":"Why do some people develop insomnia in response to stressful life events and others do not?","volume":"45","author":"Morin","year":"2022","journal-title":"Sleep"},{"key":"ref36","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"257","DOI":"10.1016\/j.paid.2004.12.001","article-title":"The relationships between neuroticism, rumination, worry, and symptoms of anxiety and depression in non-clinical adolescents","volume":"23","author":"Muris","year":"2005","journal-title":"J. Ration. Emot. Cogn. Behav. Ther."},{"key":"ref37","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"259","DOI":"10.1037\/0033-2909.101.2.259","article-title":"Sex differences in unipolar depression: evidence and theory","volume":"101","author":"Nolen-Hoeksema","year":"1987","journal-title":"Psychol. Bull."},{"key":"ref38","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"569","DOI":"10.1037\/0021-843X.100.4.569","article-title":"Responses to depression and their effects on the duration of depressive episodes","volume":"100","author":"Nolen-Hoeksema","year":"1991","journal-title":"J. Abnorm. Psychol."},{"key":"ref39","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"115","DOI":"10.1037\/0022-3514.61.1.115","article-title":"A prospective study of depression and posttraumatic stress symptoms after a natural disaster: the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake","volume":"61","author":"Nolen-Hoeksema","year":"1991","journal-title":"J. Pers. Soc. Psychol."},{"key":"ref40","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"400","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1745-6924.2008.00088.x","article-title":"Rethinking rumination","volume":"3","author":"Nolen-Hoeksema","year":"2008","journal-title":"Perspect. Psychol. Sci."},{"key":"ref41","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"225","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cpr.2013.01.003","article-title":"Specificity of rumination in anxiety and depression: a multimodal meta-analysis","volume":"20","author":"Olatunji","year":"2013","journal-title":"Clin. Psychol. Sci. Pract."},{"key":"ref42","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"4172","DOI":"10.1038\/s41598-022-07762-8","article-title":"Effectiveness of behavioral sleep interventions on children\u2019s and mothers\u2019 sleep quality and maternal depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"12","author":"Park","year":"2022","journal-title":"Sci. Rep."},{"key":"ref43","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"264","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jvb.2009.01.001","article-title":"Unemployment impairs mental health: meta-analyses","volume":"74","author":"Paul","year":"2009","journal-title":"J. Vocat. Behav."},{"key":"ref44","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"242","DOI":"10.1080\/08952841.2012.639676","article-title":"How women in late midlife become caregivers for their aging parents","volume":"24","author":"Pope","year":"2012","journal-title":"J. Women Aging"},{"key":"ref45","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"879","DOI":"10.3758\/BRM.40.3.879","article-title":"Asymptotic and resampling strategies for assessing and comparing indirect effects in multiple mediator models","volume":"40","author":"Preacher","year":"2008","journal-title":"Behav. Res. Methods"},{"key":"ref46","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"275","DOI":"10.1023\/a:1023914416469","article-title":"Negative cognitive styles and stress-reactive rumination interact to predict depression: a prospective study","volume":"27","author":"Robinson","year":"2003","journal-title":"Cogn. Ther. Res."},{"key":"ref47","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"614","DOI":"10.1177\/02537176231171949","article-title":"Rumination moderates the association between neuroticism, anxiety and depressive symptoms in Indian women","volume":"45","author":"Singh","year":"2023","journal-title":"Indian J. Psychol. Med."},{"key":"ref48","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2","DOI":"10.1207\/s15327957pspr0601","article-title":"Sex differences in coping behavior: a meta-analytic review and an examination of relative coping","volume":"6","author":"Tamres","year":"2002","journal-title":"Personal. Soc. Psychol. Rev."},{"key":"ref49","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"959","DOI":"10.1037\/0033-2909.132.6.959","article-title":"Sex differences in trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder: a quantitative review of 25 years of research","volume":"132","author":"Tolin","year":"2006","journal-title":"Psychol. Bull."},{"key":"ref50","volume-title":"Rating Scales for Mental Health","author":"Wang","year":"1999"},{"key":"ref51","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"725","DOI":"10.1177\/0033294116649707","article-title":"Emotional resilience mediates the relationship between mindfulness and emotion","volume":"118","author":"Wang","year":"2016","journal-title":"Psychol. Rep."},{"key":"ref52","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"470","DOI":"10.2307\/1519794","article-title":"Has the future of marriage arrived? A contemporary examination of gender, marriage, and psychological well-being","volume":"44","author":"Williams","year":"2003","journal-title":"J. Health Soc. Behav."},{"key":"ref53","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"439","DOI":"10.1080\/07399339709516299","article-title":"Women's images of midlife: observations from the Seattle midlife women's health study","volume":"18","author":"Woods","year":"1997","journal-title":"Health Care Women Int."},{"key":"ref54","volume-title":"Depression and Other Common Mental Disorders: Global Health Estimates","year":"2017"},{"key":"ref55","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"324","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyt.2023.1114532","article-title":"Extinguishing the fire at both ends: the dual family-caregiving stress of the sandwich generation of China's \u201c4-2-2\u201d families","volume":"104","author":"Wu","year":"2023","journal-title":"Fam. Soc."},{"key":"ref56","first-page":"114","article-title":"The development of simplified coping style questionnaire","volume":"6","author":"Xie","year":"1998","journal-title":"Chin. J. Clin. Psychol."},{"key":"ref57","volume-title":"Life Events Scale","author":"Yang","year":"1993"},{"key":"ref58","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"27","DOI":"10.1016\/j.sleep.2019.03.001","article-title":"The association between PSQI score and hypertension in a Chinese rural population: the Henan rural cohort study","volume":"58","author":"Zhang","year":"2019","journal-title":"Sleep Med."},{"key":"ref59","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"63","DOI":"10.1001\/archpsyc.1965.01720310065008","article-title":"A self-rating depression scale","volume":"12","author":"Zung","year":"1965","journal-title":"Arch. Gen. Psychiatry"}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Psychology"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpsyg.2026.1723958\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,2]],"date-time":"2026-06-02T04:28:37Z","timestamp":1780374517000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpsyg.2026.1723958\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,2]]},"references-count":59,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fpsyg.2026.1723958"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fpsyg.2026.1723958","relation":{},"ISSN":["1664-1078"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1664-1078","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,2]]},"article-number":"1723958"}}