Structural and functional markers of language signify the symptomatic effect of depression: A systematic literature review

Anbu Savekar; Shashikanta Tarai; Moksha Singh

doi:10.1515/eujal-2022-0022

Article

Structural and functional markers of language signify the symptomatic effect of depression: A systematic literature review

Anbu Savekar , Shashikanta Tarai and Moksha Singh

Published/Copyright: November 24, 2022

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From the journal European Journal of Applied Linguistics Volume 11 Issue 1

Abstract

Human behaviour is encoded and decoded through language. The latter acts as a marker in conceptualising the symptomatic effect of depression and stress. Based on this premise, this study reviewed the results and findings of both qualitative and quantitative research literature on the discourse of depressive patients and which was published between 2010 to 2020. A total of 80 research articles were examined and evaluated for interpretation using the Framework of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA). Out of these, 25 articles were finalised for analysis and synthesis. The findings on linguistic indicators correlating to depression were interpreted based on (i) prevalent linguistic markers, (ii) the research design, (iii) the significance of the context, and (iv) the limitations of findings across studies that foil establishing the generalizability of linguistic markers. Although function and content words (first-person singular pronouns, negative emotional words) as markers are strongly associated with cognitive symptoms (self-focused attention) of depression, results across studies vary. It is observed that depressive individuals also used the third-person singular (he, she) and plural pronouns (they) while accusing others of referring to negative affect. These findings contribute to the literature on mental health by establishing a correlation between linguistic features and psychological symptoms of depression.

Résume

Le comportement humain est encrypté et décrypté par le langage. Ce dernier agit comme un marqueur dans la conceptualisation de l’effet symptomatique de la dépression et du stress. Basé sur ce principe, cette étude a révisé les résultats et les conclusions de la littérature de recherche qualitative et quantitative sur le discours des patients dépressifs, et, qui a été publiée entre deux mille dix et deux mille vingt. Un total de quatre-vingts des articles de recherche ont été examinés et évalués aux fins de l’interprétation à l’aide de « Framework of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis » (PRISMA). Parmi ceux-ci, vingt-cinq articles ont été finalisés pour analyse et synthèse. Les résultats sur les indicateurs linguistiques corrélés à la dépression ont été interprétés en fonction de (i) les marqueurs linguistiques répandus, (ii) la conception de la recherche, (iii) l’importance du contexte et (iv) les limites des résultats des études qui empêchent d’établir la généralisation des marqueurs linguistiques. Bien que les mots de fonction et de contenu (pronoms à la première personne du singulier, mots émotionnels négatifs) en tant que marqueurs soient fortement associés aux symptômes cognitifs (attention centrée sur soi) de la dépression, les résultats varient d’une étude à l’autre. On observe que les individus dépressifs aussi utilise la troisième personne de singulier (il, elle) et pluriel (ils, elles) quand on accuse les autres en referrant d’effet négative. Ces résultats contribuent à la littérature sur la santé mentale en établissant une corrélation entre les caractéristiques linguistiques et les symptômes psychologiques de la dépression.

Zusammenfassung

Menschliches Verhalten wird durch Sprache kodiert und dekodiert. Letzteres dient als Marker für die Konzeptualisierung der symptomatischen Wirkung von Depressionen und Stress. Basierend auf dieser Prämisse überprüfte diese Studie die Ergebnisse und Befunde sowohl qualitativer als auch quantitativer Forschungsliteratur zum Diskurs depressiver Patienten, die zwischen 2010 und 2020 veröffentlicht wurde. Insgesamt wurden 80 Forschungsartikel untersucht und für die Interpretation unter Verwendung des Rahmens bevorzugter Berichtselemente für systematische Überprüfungen und Metaanalysen (PRISMA) bewertet. Davon wurden 25 Artikel zur Analyse und Synthese fertiggestellt. Die Befunde zu linguistischen Indikatoren, die mit Depressionen korrelieren, wurden basierend auf (i) vorherrschenden linguistischen Markern, (ii) dem Forschungsdesign, (iii) der Bedeutung des Kontexts und (iv) den Grenzen der Befunde in Studien interpretiert, die die Generalisierbarkeit von Sprachmarkern belegen. Obwohl Funktions- und Inhaltswörter (Pronomen im Singular der ersten Person, negative emotionale Wörter) als Marker stark mit kognitiven Symptomen (selbstfokussierte Aufmerksamkeit) von Depressionen assoziiert sind, variieren die Ergebnisse zwischen den Studien. Es wird beobachtet, dass depressive Personen auch die Pronomen der dritten Person Singular (er, sie) und Plural (sie) verwendeten, während sie andere beschuldigten, sich auf negativen Affekt zu beziehen. Diese Ergebnisse tragen zur Literatur zur psychischen Gesundheit bei, indem sie einen Zusammenhang zwischen sprachlichen Merkmalen und psychischen Symptomen einer Depression herstellen.

Keywords: Review-analysis; depression; linguistic markers; self-focused attention; context

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the reviewers for their thoughtful comments and efforts in improving the quality of the manuscript.

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Published Online: 2022-11-24

Published in Print: 2023-02-07

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Articles in the same Issue

https://doi.org/10.1515/eujal-2022-0022

Keywords for this article

Review-analysis; depression; linguistic markers; self-focused attention; context