Smartphone language features may help identify adverse post-traumatic neuropsychiatric sequelae and their trajectories

Abstract Language features may reflect underlying cognitive and emotional processes following a traumatic event that portend clinical outcomes. The authors sought to determine whether language features from usual smartphone use were markers associated with concurrent posttraumatic symptoms and worse...

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Main Authors: Lisa Vizer, Jennifer Pierce, Yinyao Ji, Meredith A. Bucher, Mochuan Liu, Lyle Ungar, Salvatore Giorgi, Zhaopeng Xing, Stacey L. House, Francesca L. Beaudoin, Jennifer S. Stevens, Thomas C. Neylan, Gari D. Clifford, Tanja Jovanovic, Sarah D. Linnstaedt, Donglin Zeng, Laura T. Germine, Kenneth A. Bollen, Scott L. Rauch, John P. Haran, Alan B. Storrow, Christopher Lewandowski, Paul I. Musey, Phyllis L. Hendry, Sophia Sheikh, Christopher W. Jones, Brittany E. Punches, Lauren A. Hudak, Jose L. Pascual, Mark J. Seamon, Erica Harris, Claire Pearson, David A. Peak, Roland C. Merchant, Robert M. Domeier, Brian J. O’Neil, Paulina Sergot, Leon D. Sanchez, Steven E. Bruce, Steven E. Harte, Ronald C. Kessler, Karestan C. Koenen, Samuel A. McLean, Xinming An
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Springer 2025-05-01
Series:NPP-Digital Psychiatry and Neuroscience
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s44277-025-00028-x
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author Lisa Vizer
Jennifer Pierce
Yinyao Ji
Meredith A. Bucher
Mochuan Liu
Lyle Ungar
Salvatore Giorgi
Zhaopeng Xing
Stacey L. House
Francesca L. Beaudoin
Jennifer S. Stevens
Thomas C. Neylan
Gari D. Clifford
Tanja Jovanovic
Sarah D. Linnstaedt
Donglin Zeng
Laura T. Germine
Kenneth A. Bollen
Scott L. Rauch
John P. Haran
Alan B. Storrow
Christopher Lewandowski
Paul I. Musey
Phyllis L. Hendry
Sophia Sheikh
Christopher W. Jones
Brittany E. Punches
Lauren A. Hudak
Jose L. Pascual
Mark J. Seamon
Erica Harris
Claire Pearson
David A. Peak
Roland C. Merchant
Robert M. Domeier
Brian J. O’Neil
Paulina Sergot
Leon D. Sanchez
Steven E. Bruce
Steven E. Harte
Ronald C. Kessler
Karestan C. Koenen
Samuel A. McLean
Xinming An
author_facet Lisa Vizer
Jennifer Pierce
Yinyao Ji
Meredith A. Bucher
Mochuan Liu
Lyle Ungar
Salvatore Giorgi
Zhaopeng Xing
Stacey L. House
Francesca L. Beaudoin
Jennifer S. Stevens
Thomas C. Neylan
Gari D. Clifford
Tanja Jovanovic
Sarah D. Linnstaedt
Donglin Zeng
Laura T. Germine
Kenneth A. Bollen
Scott L. Rauch
John P. Haran
Alan B. Storrow
Christopher Lewandowski
Paul I. Musey
Phyllis L. Hendry
Sophia Sheikh
Christopher W. Jones
Brittany E. Punches
Lauren A. Hudak
Jose L. Pascual
Mark J. Seamon
Erica Harris
Claire Pearson
David A. Peak
Roland C. Merchant
Robert M. Domeier
Brian J. O’Neil
Paulina Sergot
Leon D. Sanchez
Steven E. Bruce
Steven E. Harte
Ronald C. Kessler
Karestan C. Koenen
Samuel A. McLean
Xinming An
author_sort Lisa Vizer
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Language features may reflect underlying cognitive and emotional processes following a traumatic event that portend clinical outcomes. The authors sought to determine whether language features from usual smartphone use were markers associated with concurrent posttraumatic symptoms and worsening or improving posttraumatic symptoms over time following a traumatic exposure. This investigation was a secondary analysis of the Advancing Understanding of RecOvery afteR traumA study, a longitudinal study of traumatic outcomes among survivors recruited from 33 emergency departments across the United States. Adverse posttraumatic sequelae were assessed over the six months following the initial traumatic exposure. Language features were extracted from usual smartphone use in a specialized app. Bivariate linear mixed models were used to identify and validate language features that are markers associated with posttraumatic symptoms. Participants were 1744 trauma survivors, with a mean age of 39 [SD = 13] years old, and 56% were female. Fourteen language features were associated with severity level of posttraumatic symptoms at specific timepoints (cross-sectional markers) and five features were associated with change in severity level of posttraumatic symptoms (longitudinal markers). References to the body and health or illness were predictive of worsening pain, somatic, and thinking/concentration/fatigue symptom severity over time. An increase in references to others was associated with improvement in somatic symptom severity over time and increases in expressions of causation or cognitive processes were associated with improvement in pain symptom severity over time. Language features derived from usual smartphone use can convey important information about health, functioning, and recovery following a traumatic event. Clinicians might utilize such information to determine who may experience a high symptom burden or risk of worsening posttraumatic symptoms.
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spelling doaj-art-9796fe31cbc74ee7b095c42188012fb42025-08-20T03:48:15ZengSpringerNPP-Digital Psychiatry and Neuroscience2948-15702025-05-013111010.1038/s44277-025-00028-xSmartphone language features may help identify adverse post-traumatic neuropsychiatric sequelae and their trajectoriesLisa Vizer0Jennifer Pierce1Yinyao Ji2Meredith A. Bucher3Mochuan Liu4Lyle Ungar5Salvatore Giorgi6Zhaopeng Xing7Stacey L. House8Francesca L. Beaudoin9Jennifer S. Stevens10Thomas C. Neylan11Gari D. Clifford12Tanja Jovanovic13Sarah D. Linnstaedt14Donglin Zeng15Laura T. Germine16Kenneth A. Bollen17Scott L. Rauch18John P. Haran19Alan B. Storrow20Christopher Lewandowski21Paul I. Musey22Phyllis L. Hendry23Sophia Sheikh24Christopher W. Jones25Brittany E. Punches26Lauren A. Hudak27Jose L. Pascual28Mark J. Seamon29Erica Harris30Claire Pearson31David A. Peak32Roland C. Merchant33Robert M. Domeier34Brian J. O’Neil35Paulina Sergot36Leon D. Sanchez37Steven E. Bruce38Steven E. Harte39Ronald C. Kessler40Karestan C. Koenen41Samuel A. McLean42Xinming An43Department of Medicine, Division of General Medicine and Clinical Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel HillDepartment of Anesthesiology, University of MichiganInstitute for Trauma Recovery, Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel HillInstitute for Trauma Recovery, Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel HillDepartment of Biostatistics, University of North Carolina at Chapel HillComputer and Information Science, University of PennsylvaniaComputer and Information Science, University of PennsylvaniaCVS HealthDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Washington University School of MedicineDepartment of Epidemiology, Brown UniversityDepartment of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of MedicineDepartments of Psychiatry and Neurology, University of California San FranciscoDepartment of Biomedical Informatics, Emory University School of MedicineDepartment of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State UniversityInstitute for Trauma Recovery, Department of Anesthesiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel HillDepartment of Biostatistics, University of North Carolina at Chapel HillInstitute for Technology in Psychiatry, McLean HospitalDepartment of Psychology and Neuroscience & Department of Sociology, University of North Carolina at Chapel HillInstitute for Technology in Psychiatry, McLean HospitalDepartment of Emergency Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical SchoolDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical CenterDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Henry Ford Health SystemDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Indiana University School of MedicineDepartment of Emergency Medicine, University of Florida College of Medicine -JacksonvilleDepartment of Emergency Medicine, University of Florida College of Medicine -JacksonvilleDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Cooper Medical School of Rowan UniversityDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Ohio State University College of MedicineDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Emory University School of MedicineDepartment of Surgery, Department of Neurosurgery, University of PennsylvaniaPerelman School of Medicine, University of PennsylvaniaDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Einstein Medical CenterDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Wayne State University, Ascension St. John HospitalDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Massachusetts General HospitalDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Brigham and Women’s HospitalDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Trinity Health-Ann ArborDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit Receiving HospitalDepartment of Emergency Medicine, McGovern Medical School at UTHealthDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Harvard Medical SchoolDepartment of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri - St. LouisDepartment of Anesthesiology, University of Michigan Medical SchoolDepartment of Health Care Policy, Harvard Medical SchoolDepartment of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard UniversityInstitute for Trauma Recovery, Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel HillInstitute for Trauma Recovery, Department of Anesthesiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel HillAbstract Language features may reflect underlying cognitive and emotional processes following a traumatic event that portend clinical outcomes. The authors sought to determine whether language features from usual smartphone use were markers associated with concurrent posttraumatic symptoms and worsening or improving posttraumatic symptoms over time following a traumatic exposure. This investigation was a secondary analysis of the Advancing Understanding of RecOvery afteR traumA study, a longitudinal study of traumatic outcomes among survivors recruited from 33 emergency departments across the United States. Adverse posttraumatic sequelae were assessed over the six months following the initial traumatic exposure. Language features were extracted from usual smartphone use in a specialized app. Bivariate linear mixed models were used to identify and validate language features that are markers associated with posttraumatic symptoms. Participants were 1744 trauma survivors, with a mean age of 39 [SD = 13] years old, and 56% were female. Fourteen language features were associated with severity level of posttraumatic symptoms at specific timepoints (cross-sectional markers) and five features were associated with change in severity level of posttraumatic symptoms (longitudinal markers). References to the body and health or illness were predictive of worsening pain, somatic, and thinking/concentration/fatigue symptom severity over time. An increase in references to others was associated with improvement in somatic symptom severity over time and increases in expressions of causation or cognitive processes were associated with improvement in pain symptom severity over time. Language features derived from usual smartphone use can convey important information about health, functioning, and recovery following a traumatic event. Clinicians might utilize such information to determine who may experience a high symptom burden or risk of worsening posttraumatic symptoms.https://doi.org/10.1038/s44277-025-00028-x
spellingShingle Lisa Vizer
Jennifer Pierce
Yinyao Ji
Meredith A. Bucher
Mochuan Liu
Lyle Ungar
Salvatore Giorgi
Zhaopeng Xing
Stacey L. House
Francesca L. Beaudoin
Jennifer S. Stevens
Thomas C. Neylan
Gari D. Clifford
Tanja Jovanovic
Sarah D. Linnstaedt
Donglin Zeng
Laura T. Germine
Kenneth A. Bollen
Scott L. Rauch
John P. Haran
Alan B. Storrow
Christopher Lewandowski
Paul I. Musey
Phyllis L. Hendry
Sophia Sheikh
Christopher W. Jones
Brittany E. Punches
Lauren A. Hudak
Jose L. Pascual
Mark J. Seamon
Erica Harris
Claire Pearson
David A. Peak
Roland C. Merchant
Robert M. Domeier
Brian J. O’Neil
Paulina Sergot
Leon D. Sanchez
Steven E. Bruce
Steven E. Harte
Ronald C. Kessler
Karestan C. Koenen
Samuel A. McLean
Xinming An
Smartphone language features may help identify adverse post-traumatic neuropsychiatric sequelae and their trajectories
NPP-Digital Psychiatry and Neuroscience
title Smartphone language features may help identify adverse post-traumatic neuropsychiatric sequelae and their trajectories
title_full Smartphone language features may help identify adverse post-traumatic neuropsychiatric sequelae and their trajectories
title_fullStr Smartphone language features may help identify adverse post-traumatic neuropsychiatric sequelae and their trajectories
title_full_unstemmed Smartphone language features may help identify adverse post-traumatic neuropsychiatric sequelae and their trajectories
title_short Smartphone language features may help identify adverse post-traumatic neuropsychiatric sequelae and their trajectories
title_sort smartphone language features may help identify adverse post traumatic neuropsychiatric sequelae and their trajectories
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s44277-025-00028-x
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