Brain Network Dysfunction and Rumination in Psychiatric Disorders: Integrative Insights into Educational Therapy as a Targeted Intervention

Abstract

Rumination, characterized by excessive repetitive and perseverative thinking about negative experiences and emotions, represents a transdiagnostic feature across multiple psychiatric disorders including major depressive disorder (MDD), anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). This review paper synthesizes current neurobiological research on rumination, examining its formation through the lens of large-scale brain networks, particularly the default mode network (DMN), and its integration with autonomic regulation via polyvagal theory. We explore the complex interplay between conscious and subconscious processes, key brain regions involved in ruminative cycles, and the underlying neurotransmitter pathways that sustain these maladaptive thought patterns. Understanding these neurobiological mechanisms provides crucial insights for developing targeted interventions through educational therapy, which offers personalized strategies to enhance cognitive flexibility, emotional regulation, and metacognitive skills. The goal of this paper is to empower individuals to recognize and manage ruminative tendencies, and through educational therapy, to bridge neurobiological understanding with practical tools for resilience-building, thus to advance precision psychiatry approaches that are tailored to individual neurocognitive profiles.