Abstract
Introduction
Studying language use in dreams and nightmares has become an increasingly used tool to understand underlying emotional and cognitive processes. Specifically, in regards to post-trauma nightmares (PTNMs), nightmare transcriptions can offer a lens to understand a survivor’s interpretation of their trauma. The current study will utilize a method of quantitative text analysis to analyze the relationship between specific psychological constructs and symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and nightmare qualities. It is hypothesized that there will be a positive correlation between words related to perceptual processes and negative emotions in nightmares and PTSD symptom and nightmare severity. There will be a negative correlation between cognitive processes and positive emotion words, and PTSD symptom and nightmare severity.
Methods
Fifty-three nightmares were collected from participants that were recruited from the community in a Midwestern city as part of an ongoing investigation of the effectiveness of a brief cognitive-behavioral intervention for PTNM, Exposure, Relaxation, and Rescripting Therapy (ERRT). All participants were over the age of 18, have experienced a criterion A trauma, and have nightmares at least once weekly. Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC) was utilized to analyze the nightmare transcriptions. The Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for the DSM-5 (PCL-5) and the Trauma-related Nightmare Survey (TRNS) were used to measure symptom severity. A Pearson’s correlation analysis was used for this exploratory study.
Results
Words related to perceptual processes were significantly positively correlated with PTSD symptom and nightmare severity (p<.05) Neither negative nor positive emotion words were significantly related to PTSD and nightmare symptoms (p>.05). Cognitive processing words were significantly negatively correlated with PTSD and nightmare symptoms (p<.05).
Conclusion
The results of this study support the hypothesis that language use in nightmares reveals important information about underlying cognitive and emotional functioning. The results of this study may have an important impact on treatment considerations for those who have experienced trauma. Analyzing language use in PTNM may help to understand the etiology and maintenance of PTSD symptoms.
Support
Support for this study comes from the University of Tulsa Institute of Trauma, Adversity, and Injustice.
Cognitive processes associated with sudden gains in cognitive therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder in routine care.