Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31840339›Full record

ArticleClinical psychology & psychotherapy2020

Can linguistic analysis be used to identify whether adolescents with a chronic illness are depressed?

Lauren Stephanie Jones, Emma Anderson, Maria Loades, Rebecca Barnes, Esther Crawley

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Clinical psychology & psychotherapy, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
9citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

9 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Recent research in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome: an evidence map.Health technology assessment (Winchester, England) · 2025
    Pooled it
  2. Trial
  3. Trial
  4. Article
  5. Language Use in Mother-Adolescent Dyadic Interaction: Preliminary Results.International Conference on Affective Computing and Intelligent Interaction and workshops : [proceedings]. ACII (Conference) · 2022
    Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Article
  9. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Lauren Stephanie JonesCentre for Academic Child Health, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3680-5401
Emma AndersonCentre for Academic Child Health, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
Maria LoadesCentre for Academic Child Health, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
Rebecca BarnesCentre for Academic Child Health, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
Esther CrawleyCentre for Academic Child Health, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.

Funding

Department of Health DRF-2016-09-021Department of Health HTA/14/192/109Department of Health SRF-2013-06-013
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Comorbid depression is common in adolescents with chronic illness. We aimed to design and test a linguistic coding scheme for identifying depression in adolescents with chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME), by exploring features of e-consultations within online cognitive behavioural therapy treatment. E-consultations of 16 adolescents (aged 11-17) receiving FITNET-NHS (Fatigue in teenagers on the interNET in the National Health Service) treatment in a national randomized controlled trial were examined. A theoretically driven linguistic coding scheme was developed and used to categorize comorbid depression in e-consultations using computerized content analysis. Linguistic coding scheme categorization was subsequently compared with classification of depression using the Revised Children's Anxiety and Depression Scale published cut-offs (t-scores ≥65, ≥70). Extra linguistic elements identified deductively and inductively were compared with self-reported depressive symptoms after unblinding. The linguistic coding scheme categorized three (19%) of our sample consistently with self-report assessment. Of all 12 identified linguistic features, differences in language use by categorization of self-report assessment were found for "past focus" words (mean rank frequencies: 1.50 for no depression, 5.50 for possible depression, and 10.70 for probable depression; p < .05) and "discrepancy" words (mean rank frequencies: 16.00 for no depression, 11.20 for possible depression, and 6.40 for probable depression; p < .05). The linguistic coding profile developed as a potential tool to support clinicians in identifying comorbid depression in e-consultations showed poor value in this sample of adolescents with CFS/ME. Some promising linguistic features were identified, warranting further research with larger samples.

Indexed as

AdolescentChildChronic DiseaseDepressive DisorderFatigue Syndrome, ChronicFemaleHumansLinguisticsMalechronic fatigue syndromecognitive behavioural therapydepressive symptomse-consultationslinguistic analysispaediatric

Identifiers

PMID31840339
PMCPMC7316571

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.