A study published recently in thejournal Developmental Psychologyfinds that excessive discussion oftheir problems might harm preteenand teen girls more than it helpsthem. Researchers even coined aterm to describe the phenomenon:co-rumination. Adolescent girlswho co-ruminate, or dwell ontheir problems by rehashing andanalyzing them with their friends,tended to show more signs ofdepression and anxiety thanothers, the study found.
　　"Talking about their problemstoo much keeps those problems inclose focus-makes them feel biggerand harder to solve," said Amanda J.Rose, lead author of the study and an associateprofessor of psychology at the University ofMissouri. "It also may keep them from engagingin more-pleasant activities that might take theirmind off their problems."
　　Boys who aired problems with peers didnot appear to have similarly elevated levels ofdepression and anxiety. Rose said this was likelybecause boys tend to externalize issues and "weremore likely to blame someone else for their problems."
　　Researchers surveyed more than 800students in the third, fifth, seventh and ninthgrades, asking them about their problem-sharing, any depression and anxiety they experienced, and the quality of friendshipsthey maintained. Though dwelling on theirworries seemed to make adolescent girlsmore depressed, it also had one positiveresult:It made friendships closer andstronger. Boys who shared problems alsohad closer friendships than boys who didnot, the researchers found.