Language use predicts phenomenological properties of Holocaust memories and health

Illusory posttraumatic growth is common, but genuine posttraumatic growth is rare: A critical review and suggestions for a path forward

Over the last 2.5 decades, trauma researchers have increasingly become interested in posttraumatic growth (PTG) - the concept that some people experience growth as a result of trauma exposure. I begin by reviewing extant research on PTG, with a focus on measurement and conceptual issues. Expanding on arguments made by others, I distinguish between three forms of PTG, 1) perceived PTG, which is an individual's beliefs about their own PTG, 2) genuine PTG, which is veridical growth following adversity, and 3) illusory PTG, which is motivated fabrications of PTG. Perceived PTG is extremely common, as over half of individuals exposed to a potentially traumatic event (PTE) report moderate or greater levels of PTG. I review evidence that most self-reports of PTG are greatly exaggerated and argue that perceived PTG is mostly illusory PTG. I propose five reasons for the disconnect between perceived PTG and genuine PTG, including design flaws in the current measurements, emotional biases that favor perceived PTG, the inherent appeal of PTG, cultural expectations, and problems of definition. I then review the empirical evidence concerning the prevalence rate of genuine PTG, coming to the bold conclusion that the occurrence of genuine PTG is very rare, contradicting current fundamental beliefs about PTG. I recommend researchers focus on the key areas of measurement and etiology of genuine PTG, which are necessary to create interventions that foster genuine PTG. I conclude by outlining a path to steer the scientific progression of PTG back in the right direction.

From fragments to identity: reminiscence, life review and well-being of holocaust survivors. An integrative review

Objectives: Survivors of the Holocaust have reached an age during which it is common for them to look back on their lives. Previous research has shown that reminiscence can take on either adaptive ('self-positive') or detrimental ('self-negative') forms, which in turn are differently linked to psychological well-being. Thus, the question of "why" and "how" Holocaust survivors recall their autobiographical memories may hold important information about the underlying coping processes at play. This review aims to give insight into the current state of research on these questions.Method: A systematic literature search was conducted, looking for articles reporting quantitative and qualitative research on reminiscence and narrative styles, life review and well-being of Holocaust survivors. A methodological quality assessment was undertaken.Results: 23 articles met the criteria for inclusion. These articles focused either on reminiscence functions or on content and structure of life narratives. Such autobiographical reports were shaped by the experience of Holocaust. However, actual well-being was particularly determined by positive life events. Studies found evidence for resilience and ongoing effort to integrate the past into a coherent review. The link between reminiscence and health remains stable even after massive trauma. Contextual influences (such as culture) and age are discussed as possible covariates.Conclusions: The results show that Holocaust survivors are able to use reminiscence in a functional way, though they are increasingly more vulnerable as they reach very old age. The link between past suffering and present well-being gets stronger with age. Other stressful life experiences after the Holocaust must be considered as exacerbating factors. This review also presents the implications for therapy and open research questions are discussed.

"I feel like death on legs": COVID-19 isolation and mental health

This study investigates the personal and collective responses to COVID-19, as it is described in British personal stories and newspaper reports from Britain and Sri Lanka and examines the social and economic impact of the pandemic on different societies. Although some studies have been done on the impact of COVID-19, none of these studies have focused specifically on the impact the coronavirus has had on different societies because of the global lockdown and restrictions on people’s movements. This study attempts to address this gap in the literature by focusing on how the language used in a corpus of personal stories and newspaper reports collected over a span of one month, reveal the impact of COVID-19 on two societies by investigating how self-isolation and lockdown is leading to mental health breakdown in individuals and affecting wider social and economic collapse. The data was analysed using corpus linguistics methodology such as keyword analysis using AntConc (Anthony, 2019) and Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC) (Pennebaker Conglomerates, 2015). The findings from LIWC shows that the enforced self-isolation is leading to mental health breakdown. The analysis of the news reports show that Britain’s priorities are centred on the economy whereas Sri Lankan newspapers focus on educating people about the severity of COVID-19.