Negative emotions and threat perception in narratives from battered women

Abstract

Introduction

Trauma narratives contain a lot of emotion words, in comparison with narratives about other autobiographical memories. Negative emotion's words, as well as words about death (as an indicator of threat perception), have been associated to a worse adjustment after trauma. However, the different kind of negative emotions reported have been rarely explored. Also, in violence victims, the use of words about abuse might indicate threat perception.

Objectives

Analyzing the use of negative words and threat perception (death and abuse words) in trauma narratives from 50 battered women, compared with stressful narratives from 50 non-traumatized women, and positive narratives. The relationship between narratives aspects and symptomatology is explored.

Aims

Exploring differences in emotions and threat perception related to psychological functioning after trauma.

Methods

Battered women were asked to remember the worst violence episode, whereas non-traumatized women narrated their most stressful experience. Both groups remembered also a neutral and a positive episode. LIWC software was used to calculate the percentage of different words used.

Results

Anger was the most used negative emotion. Anger and sadness words were more reported in stressful and trauma narratives than in positive ones. There were differences between groups in the use of death and abuse words. Anger and abuse words were associated to anxiety and depression, but not PTSD symptoms. Death words were related to a better functioning.

Conclusions

This study evidences the need to explore the role of different negative emotions in the posttraumatic adaptation. Also contextual aspects involved on threat perception must be considered.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.