Beyond trauma: a review of content and linguistic characteristics of nontrauma narratives in posttraumatic stress disorder

Abstract

ABSTRACT Background: Using narratives to reflect on experiences, emotions, and thoughts is associated with better health, enhanced mood, and improved symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Prior research examining narrative characteristics thought to reflect cognitive styles associated with PTSD has focused on trauma narratives, but the characteristics of nontrauma narratives in relation to PTSD are not fully understood. Objective: We reviewed the PTSD literature examining linguistic characteristics of nontrauma narratives, focusing on affective content, personal pronouns, and cognitive processing words. Method: We searched online databases for both laboratory and social media studies examining these characteristics of nontrauma narratives in relation to PTSD diagnostic status and/or PTSD symptom severity. Results: Following SWiM guidelines [Campbell et al., 2020. Synthesis without meta-analysis (SWiM) in systematic reviews: Reporting guideline. British Medical Journal, 368, l6890], there was moderate evidence for differential use of emotion words in nontrauma narratives in relation to PTSD symptom cluster severity. More severe avoidance/numbing symptoms were associated with greater use of negative emotion words and less use of positive emotion words. Results were mixed for other linguistic elements reviewed. Conclusions: Differential use of emotional language in trauma narratives generalises to nontrauma narratives in individuals with PTSD. Additional research is needed to elucidate the use of personal pronouns and cognitive processing words in nontrauma narratives.