Linguistic Markers in Women’s Discussions on Miscarriage and Abortion Illustrate Psychological Responses to Their Experiences

Abstract

This study analyzed thousands of women’s online conversations in relation to their miscarriage or abortion experiences, classified as unplanned and planned traumas, respectively. Linguistic Inquiry Word Count text analysis revealed that people experiencing a planned trauma use distancing language patterns in higher frequency and engage in emotion regulation more than those who experienced trauma unexpectedly. On the other hand, planned trauma conversations used more self-focused language and more social-based language. Implications and future directions for trauma research are discussed.