The Expressions of Depression and Anxiety in Chinese Psycho-counseling: Usage of First-person Singular Pronoun and Negative Emotional Words

Abstract: This study explores the relationship between linguistic expressions and psychological states of depression and anxiety within Chinese psycho-counseling interactions, focusing specifically on the usage of first-person singular pronouns and negative emotional words. Utilizing a corpus derived from 735 online counseling sessions, the analysis employed a general linear mixed-effect model to assess linguistic patterns quantified by the Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC) software. Results indicate a significant positive correlation between the frequency of negative emotional words and the severity of both depressive and anxious states among clients. However, contrary to prior findings predominantly derived from English-language contexts, the usage frequency of first-person singular pronouns did not vary significantly with the clients' psychological conditions. These outcomes are discussed within the framework of cultural distinctions between collectivist Chinese contexts and individualistic Western settings, as well as the interactive dynamics unique to psycho-counseling conversations. The findings highlight the nuanced influence of cultural and conversational contexts on language use in mental health communications, providing insights into psycholinguistic markers relevant to therapeutic practices in Chinese-speaking populations.