MENGELOLA PIKIRAN NEGATIF: PERAN STRATEGI COPING DALAM MEMODERASI PENGARUH RUMINASI TERHADAP GEJALA DEPRESI PADA DEWASA AWAL

Early adulthood is a developmental period characterized by multiple demands and psychosocial pressures that may increase vulnerability to mental health problems, particularly depressive symptoms. One cognitive factor that significantly contributes to the emergence of depressive symptoms is rumination, defined as the tendency to engage in repetitive negative thinking about past experiences or excessive worries about the future. However, not all individuals who ruminate develop depressive symptoms, as other factors may moderate this relationship, one of which is coping strategies. Both adaptive and maladaptive coping strategies play an important role in determining the extent to which rumination impacts the development of depressive symptoms. This study aimed to examine the effect of rumination on depressive symptoms and to test the moderating role of adaptive and maladaptive coping strategies in the relationship between rumination and depressive symptoms. This study employed a quantitative approach with a sample of 409 early adults selected through convenience sampling. The instruments used were the Ruminative Responses Scale (RRS), Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), and Brief COPE. Data were analyzed using moderated regression analysis with Hayes’ PROCESS Macro (Model 2). The results showed that although rumination was significantly associated with depressive symptoms (β = 0.153; p = 0.002), the effect of rumination became non-significant after coping strategies were included as moderating variables (β = 0.240; p = 0.797). Adaptive coping was found to weaken the effect of rumination on depressive symptoms (β = −0.0427; p = 0.0062), whereas maladaptive coping strengthened the effect of rumination on depressive symptoms (β = 0.0406; p = 0.0045). These findings highlight the importance of enhancing adaptive coping strategies and reducing maladaptive coping as potential interventions to mitigate the negative impact of rumination on the depressive symptoms of early adults.