Emotional expressiveness and avoidance in narratives of unaccompanied refugee minors
Objective: The aim of this study was to examine a cohort of unaccompanied refugee minors (URMs) by means of psycholinguistic methods in order to obtain a more subtle picture of their degree of traumatization. Methods: Twenty-eight participants were included in the Stress-Inducing Speech Task (SIST)...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2016-03-01
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| Series: | European Journal of Psychotraumatology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.ejpt.net/index.php/ejpt/article/view/29163/pdf_119 |
| _version_ | 1818929628432039936 |
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| author | Julia Huemer Kristin Nelson Niranjan Karnik Sabine Völkl-Kernstock Stefan Seidel Nina Ebner Erika Ryst Max Friedrich Richard J. Shaw Cassey Realubit Hans Steiner Katrin Skala |
| author_facet | Julia Huemer Kristin Nelson Niranjan Karnik Sabine Völkl-Kernstock Stefan Seidel Nina Ebner Erika Ryst Max Friedrich Richard J. Shaw Cassey Realubit Hans Steiner Katrin Skala |
| author_sort | Julia Huemer |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objective: The aim of this study was to examine a cohort of unaccompanied refugee minors (URMs) by means of psycholinguistic methods in order to obtain a more subtle picture of their degree of traumatization. Methods: Twenty-eight participants were included in the Stress-Inducing Speech Task (SIST) consisting of a free association (FA) and a stress (STR) condition. Narratives were examined by means of (1) quantitative parameters (word count); (2) psycholinguistic variables (temporal junctures, TJs), narrative structure, referential activity (RA)—a measure of emotional expressivity; and (3) content analysis ratings. Results: Word count was significantly lower than in age-matched norms. In the FA condition, TJs were lower, but in the STR condition, rates were comparable. RA was significantly higher in both conditions. Content analysis ratings showed that the experiences described by these youths were potentially traumatic in nature. Conclusions: This pattern of narrative shows a mixture of fulfilling the task demand, while containing an emotionally charged narrative. Narrative structure was absent in the FA condition, but preserved in the STR condition, as URMs struggled with the description of non-normative events. This indicates that these youths have not yet emotionally dealt with and fully integrated their trauma experiences. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-20T03:47:49Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-bf58f9385f0c41c984930f833810e36e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2000-8066 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-20T03:47:49Z |
| publishDate | 2016-03-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | European Journal of Psychotraumatology |
| spelling | doaj.art-bf58f9385f0c41c984930f833810e36e2022-12-21T19:54:34ZengTaylor & Francis GroupEuropean Journal of Psychotraumatology2000-80662016-03-01701910.3402/ejpt.v7.2916329163Emotional expressiveness and avoidance in narratives of unaccompanied refugee minorsJulia Huemer0Kristin Nelson1Niranjan Karnik2Sabine Völkl-Kernstock3Stefan Seidel4Nina Ebner5Erika Ryst6Max Friedrich7Richard J. Shaw8Cassey Realubit9Hans Steiner10Katrin Skala11 Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria Social Sciences Division, The New School for Public Engagement, New York, USA Department of Psychiatry, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria Department of Neurology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria Nevada Center for Excellence in Disabilities, College of Education, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, USA Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria Division of Child Psychiatry and Human Development, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA Abbey Neuropsychology Clinic, Palo Alto, CA, USA Division of Child Psychiatry and Human Development, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, AustriaObjective: The aim of this study was to examine a cohort of unaccompanied refugee minors (URMs) by means of psycholinguistic methods in order to obtain a more subtle picture of their degree of traumatization. Methods: Twenty-eight participants were included in the Stress-Inducing Speech Task (SIST) consisting of a free association (FA) and a stress (STR) condition. Narratives were examined by means of (1) quantitative parameters (word count); (2) psycholinguistic variables (temporal junctures, TJs), narrative structure, referential activity (RA)—a measure of emotional expressivity; and (3) content analysis ratings. Results: Word count was significantly lower than in age-matched norms. In the FA condition, TJs were lower, but in the STR condition, rates were comparable. RA was significantly higher in both conditions. Content analysis ratings showed that the experiences described by these youths were potentially traumatic in nature. Conclusions: This pattern of narrative shows a mixture of fulfilling the task demand, while containing an emotionally charged narrative. Narrative structure was absent in the FA condition, but preserved in the STR condition, as URMs struggled with the description of non-normative events. This indicates that these youths have not yet emotionally dealt with and fully integrated their trauma experiences.http://www.ejpt.net/index.php/ejpt/article/view/29163/pdf_119Traumaunaccompanied refugee minorsnarrationpsycholinguistics |
| spellingShingle | Julia Huemer Kristin Nelson Niranjan Karnik Sabine Völkl-Kernstock Stefan Seidel Nina Ebner Erika Ryst Max Friedrich Richard J. Shaw Cassey Realubit Hans Steiner Katrin Skala Emotional expressiveness and avoidance in narratives of unaccompanied refugee minors European Journal of Psychotraumatology Trauma unaccompanied refugee minors narration psycholinguistics |
| title | Emotional expressiveness and avoidance in narratives of unaccompanied refugee minors |
| title_full | Emotional expressiveness and avoidance in narratives of unaccompanied refugee minors |
| title_fullStr | Emotional expressiveness and avoidance in narratives of unaccompanied refugee minors |
| title_full_unstemmed | Emotional expressiveness and avoidance in narratives of unaccompanied refugee minors |
| title_short | Emotional expressiveness and avoidance in narratives of unaccompanied refugee minors |
| title_sort | emotional expressiveness and avoidance in narratives of unaccompanied refugee minors |
| topic | Trauma unaccompanied refugee minors narration psycholinguistics |
| url | http://www.ejpt.net/index.php/ejpt/article/view/29163/pdf_119 |
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