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Language or rating scales based classifications of emotions : computational analysis of language and alexithymia

Sikström, Sverker LU orcid ; Nicolai, Miriam ; Ahrendt, Josephine ; Nevanlinna, Suvi and Stille, Lotta (2024) In npj Mental Health Research 3(1). p.37-37
Abstract

Rating scales are the dominating tool for the quantitative assessment of mental health. They are often believed to have a higher validity than language-based responses, which are the natural way of communicating mental states. Furthermore, it is unclear how difficulties articulating emotions-alexithymia-affect the accuracy of language-based communication of emotions. We investigated whether narratives describing emotional states are more accurately classified by questions-based computational analysis of language (QCLA) compared to commonly used rating scales. Additionally, we examined how this is affected by alexithymia. In Phase 1, participants (N = 348) generated narratives describing events related to depression, anxiety,... (More)

Rating scales are the dominating tool for the quantitative assessment of mental health. They are often believed to have a higher validity than language-based responses, which are the natural way of communicating mental states. Furthermore, it is unclear how difficulties articulating emotions-alexithymia-affect the accuracy of language-based communication of emotions. We investigated whether narratives describing emotional states are more accurately classified by questions-based computational analysis of language (QCLA) compared to commonly used rating scales. Additionally, we examined how this is affected by alexithymia. In Phase 1, participants (N = 348) generated narratives describing events related to depression, anxiety, satisfaction, and harmony. In Phase 2, another set of participants summarized the emotions described in the narratives of Phase 1 in five descriptive words and rating scales (PHQ-9, GAD-7, SWLS, and HILS). The words were quantified with a natural language processing model (i.e., LSA) and classified with machine learning (i.e., multinomial regression). The results showed that the language-based responses can be more accurate in classifying the emotional states compared to the rating scales. The degree of alexithymia did not influence the correctness of classification based on words or rating scales, suggesting that QCLA is not sensitive to alexithymia. However, narratives generated by people with high alexithymia were more difficult to classify than those generated by people with low alexithymia. These results suggest that the assessment of mental health may be improved by language-based responses analyzed by computational methods compared to currently used rating scales.

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author
; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
npj Mental Health Research
volume
3
issue
1
pages
37 - 37
publisher
Nature Publishing Group
external identifiers
  • pmid:39085388
ISSN
2731-4251
DOI
10.1038/s44184-024-00080-z
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
© 2024. The Author(s).
id
6cad8dd6-f5c9-48f6-aea8-8b0b0a7213a7
date added to LUP
2024-09-17 11:35:33
date last changed
2024-09-18 15:39:04
@article{6cad8dd6-f5c9-48f6-aea8-8b0b0a7213a7,
  abstract     = {{<p>Rating scales are the dominating tool for the quantitative assessment of mental health. They are often believed to have a higher validity than language-based responses, which are the natural way of communicating mental states. Furthermore, it is unclear how difficulties articulating emotions-alexithymia-affect the accuracy of language-based communication of emotions. We investigated whether narratives describing emotional states are more accurately classified by questions-based computational analysis of language (QCLA) compared to commonly used rating scales. Additionally, we examined how this is affected by alexithymia. In Phase 1, participants (N = 348) generated narratives describing events related to depression, anxiety, satisfaction, and harmony. In Phase 2, another set of participants summarized the emotions described in the narratives of Phase 1 in five descriptive words and rating scales (PHQ-9, GAD-7, SWLS, and HILS). The words were quantified with a natural language processing model (i.e., LSA) and classified with machine learning (i.e., multinomial regression). The results showed that the language-based responses can be more accurate in classifying the emotional states compared to the rating scales. The degree of alexithymia did not influence the correctness of classification based on words or rating scales, suggesting that QCLA is not sensitive to alexithymia. However, narratives generated by people with high alexithymia were more difficult to classify than those generated by people with low alexithymia. These results suggest that the assessment of mental health may be improved by language-based responses analyzed by computational methods compared to currently used rating scales.</p>}},
  author       = {{Sikström, Sverker and Nicolai, Miriam and Ahrendt, Josephine and Nevanlinna, Suvi and Stille, Lotta}},
  issn         = {{2731-4251}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{07}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{37--37}},
  publisher    = {{Nature Publishing Group}},
  series       = {{npj Mental Health Research}},
  title        = {{Language or rating scales based classifications of emotions : computational analysis of language and alexithymia}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s44184-024-00080-z}},
  doi          = {{10.1038/s44184-024-00080-z}},
  volume       = {{3}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}