Abstract
Identifying early predictors for psychiatric disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), is crucial for effective treatment and prevention efforts. Obtaining such predictors is challenging and methodologically limited, for example by individuals' distress, arousal, and reduced introspective ability. We investigated the predictive power of language-based, implicit markers of psychological processes (N = 163) derived from computerized text-analysis of trauma and control narratives provided within 18 days post-trauma. Trauma narratives with fewer cognitive processing words (indicating less cognitive elaboration), more death-related words (indicating perceived threat to life), and more first-person singular pronouns (indicating self-immersed processing) predicted greater PTSD symptoms at 6 months. These effects were specific to trauma narratives and held after controlling for early PTSD symptom severity and verbal intelligence. When self-report questionnaires of related processes were considered together with the trauma narrative linguistic predictors, use of more first-person singular pronouns remained a significant predictor alongside self-reported mental defeat. Language-based processing markers may complement questionnaire measures in early forecasting of post-trauma adjustment.
Highlights
Specialty section: This article was submitted to Mood and Anxiety Disorders, a section of the journal Frontiers in Psychiatry
Trauma narratives with fewer cognitive processing words, more death-related words, and more first-person singular pronouns predicted greater post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms at 6 months
When self-report questionnaires of related processes were considered together with the trauma narrative linguistic predictors, use of more first-person singular pronouns remained a significant predictor alongside self-reported mental defeat
Summary
Specialty section: This article was submitted to Mood and Anxiety Disorders, a section of the journal Frontiers in Psychiatry. Identifying early predictors for psychiatric disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), is crucial for effective treatment and prevention efforts. Trauma narratives with fewer cognitive processing words (indicating less cognitive elaboration), more death-related words (indicating perceived threat to life), and more first-person singular pronouns (indicating self-immersed processing) predicted greater PTSD symptoms at 6 months. Many survivors show a high degree of resilience and (and sometimes quickly) return to normal lives whilst others develop psychological disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). These survivors could benefit from professional help to mitigate the long-term social, emotional, and health impact. Survivors often have contact with professional services in the initial aftermath of a trauma, whereas such contact appears much more difficult to establish later, when disorders are chronic, often comorbid and more difficult to treat [4, 5]
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