The authors conducted a meta-analysis of 59 studies and found that women consistently report higher levels of rumination than men. However, the size of this difference was relatively small, suggesting that rumination alone is unlikely to fully explain gender disparities in depression. Similar gender differences were found for both brooding and reflection, two subtypes of rumination. Overall, the findings provide support for Response Styles Theory while highlighting the need to consider rumination alongside other psychological and social risk factors for depression.