Language on Social Media Provides Warning Signs of Depression Symptoms: Study

“America, we have a problem.” Over the past several decades, advances in computer text analysis have enabled researchers to ascertain patterns in motivation, mood, and other psychological variables by categorizing and tallying the frequency of certain words. For instance, over a decade ago, psychologist James Pennebaker developed a method in his book “The Secret Life of Pronouns: What Our Words Say About Us” for counting positive and negative emotion words in texts to understand authors’ mental states.

We might expect that happy people tend to use upbeat words like “happy,” “joy,” or “excited” universally. However, words predicting well being can differ across populations. For urban dwellers, satisfaction could manifest in words like “ideas,” “services,” or “entertainment.” Meanwhile, contented rural folk might reference “trip,” “camping,” or “mountains.” Depression and Self Perception Individuals expressing a lack of control over their lives were less likely to use first person pronouns like “I” and “me.” They tended to discuss things detachedly using words like “it” or “they.” This group also shared less about emotions, especially negative ones, health, or personal problems.

However, they often mentioned money and leisure pursuits potentially related to that loss of control. In contrast, people voicing suicidal ideation referenced themselves and focused heavily on negative emotions. Family featured as another core topic for this demographic. Specific Words Linked to Specific Symptoms The research team predicted what terms would be used most often in association with particular symptoms of depression.

Returning to the individuals who evinced loss of control, some of the most highly probable content revolved around games and play. Yet they seldom mentioned school, family, or loneliness. Conversely, the lonely group fixated the most on relationships. Reddit users exhibiting suicidal thoughts frequently noted family discord, especially with mothers, alongside control issues and emotions like anger or worthlessness.

Discussions of self harm—including cutting, scars, etc.—were also more prevalent here than in other categories. Moreover, anxious individuals were much more likely to discuss their medical diagnoses, as well as a range of somatic complaints and lack of sleep. They were more prone to share about life stressors like school, parents, and time pressures.

Those perceiving a lack of control often cope through gaming or activities that facilitate disengagement from social connections or emotions. For some, this could be adaptive coping. However, taken to extremes, this withdrawal could worsen outcomes and require adjusting course. On the other hand, anxious individuals may benefit most from sharing feelings, provided it occurs in constructive communities rather than groups reinforcing negative mindsets.

Few things feel worse when you’re feeling low than when someone presumes to grasp your suffering but lacks proper understanding. Insights from linguistic text analysis may help to approach depression as the multifaceted phenomenon it is while tailoring care to what weighs most heavily on a person’s psyche..