Specific topics, specific symptoms: linking the content of recurrent involuntary memories to mental health using computational text analysis

Researchers debate whether recurrent involuntary autobiographical memories (IAMs)—memories of one's personal past retrieved unintentionally and repetitively—are pathological or ordinary. While some argue that they contribute to clinical disorders, these memories are also common in everyday life. This study examined whether the content of recurrent IAMs distinguishes maladaptive (related to worse mental health) from benign (unrelated to mental health) memories. Over two years, 6187 undergraduates completed online surveys; 3624 descriptions of recurrent IAMs from those experiencing them in the past year were analyzed. Using structural topic modeling, coherent topics (e.g., “Conversations,” “Experiences with family members”) were identified. Specific topics (e.g., “Negative past relationships,” “Abuse and trauma”) were uniquely related to symptoms of mental health disorders (e.g., depression, PTSD) above and beyond self-reported valence. Content in recurrent IAMs was distinct across symptom types (e.g., “Communication and miscommunication” related to social anxiety but not other disorders), suggesting that while negative recurrent IAMs are transdiagnostic, their content is disorder-specific. Topics in recurrent IAMs—and their links to mental health—are identifiable, distinguishable, and quantifiable.

Ryan C. Yeung, Myra A. Fernandes