A Ten-Year Systematic Review on Linguistic BehaviorsOral and Written Communication as Predictors of Anxiety

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to conduct a systematic review of the literature over the past decade on the relationship between linguistic behavior and anxiety-related mental disorders. Anxiety is a universal and complex mental health problem with significant societal implications, and it has been one of the focuses of extensive attention, investigation and research in the psychological community. Many psychiatric disorders, especially anxiety disorders, are associated with severe anxiety. In recent years, as more and more scholars began to focus on the link between verbal behavior and anxiety, certain unique linguistic features have been identified in people with anxiety disorders, such as using less positive emotional words and fewer long sentences. However, some issues remain to be addressed. For instance, the majority of studies conducted in this field have not employed long-term observational experimental designs, which has hindered researchers from exploring the deeper effects of language behavior on the onset and development of anxiety symptoms. Additionally, in-depth research is challenging because some studies focus on specific populations, have limited sample selection, and rarely make cross-cultural comparisons. Anxiety disorders associated with decreasing quality of life and impairing social functioning. Therefore, it is crucial to study the relationship between anxiety and linguistic behavior from practical perspective. Future research should focus on solving the limitations of existing studies, exploring the mechanism of linguistic behavior's influence on anxiety symptoms, and exploring the relationship between anxiety and language in different cultures, to provide more effective strategies for the diagnosis and treatment of anxiety disorders.