Differential Moderating Effects of Intrusive Rumination on Emotion Regulation Pathways from Negative Life Events to Depression: A Study of Chinese University Students

Negative life events are increasingly recognized as significant risk factors for depression among university students. However, the underlying mechanisms through which these events contribute to depression, particularly the roles of emotion regulation strategies and rumination, remain to be fully elucidated. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 638 Chinese university students ( M _age = 19.86 years, SD = 1.32). Participants completed questionnaires assessing negative life events, emotion regulation strategies (cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression), intrusive rumination, and depression. Data were analyzed using moderated mediation models, controlling for gender, place of origin, and academic major. Negative life events significantly and positively predicted depression. Both cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression mediated the relationship between negative life events and depression. Furthermore, intrusive rumination moderated the mediation pathway of “negative life events → cognitive reappraisal → depression” at multiple stages. Specifically, when intrusive rumination was high, the negative effect of negative life events on cognitive reappraisal was attenuated, while the protective effect of cognitive reappraisal on depression was enhanced. Concurrently, the direct negative effect of negative life events on depression was amplified. For the expressive suppression pathway, intrusive rumination moderated only the direct path, strengthening the positive association between negative life events and depression when intrusive rumination was high. These findings suggest that following negative life events, particularly when individuals experience intrusive rumination, enhancing the use of cognitive reappraisal may effectively mitigate the adverse impact of such events and reduce depressive symptoms among university students. The results underscore the importance of targeting emotion regulation strategies and ruminative thinking in interventions aimed at promoting mental health in this population.