Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, USA.
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, USA.
J Health Psychol. 2024 Jan;29(1):42-51. doi: 10.1177/13591053231182218. Epub 2023 Jun 26.
The use of generic "you" (GY) in writing samples fosters psychological distancing and functions as a linguistic mechanism to facilitate emotion regulation. This method of creating psychological distance from the traumatic experience of cancer may be used by patients processing emotions. We used behavioral coding to analyze expressive writing samples collected from 138 cancer patients to examine the association between the use of "you" and cancer-related symptoms and psychological outcomes. Occurrences of GY were low, but our qualitative results showed how the use of GY could create a universal experience of cancer. The use of GY was not associated with cancer-related symptoms and depressive symptoms, but longitudinal analyses revealed that those using GY had fewer intrusive thoughts and avoidance behaviors across the follow-up period of 1, 4, and 10 months after the intervention. The development of psychological self-distancing prompts to use in writing interventions or as a clinical tool for cancer patients should be explored.
在写作样本中使用通用的“你”（GY）可以促进心理上的距离，并作为一种语言机制来促进情绪调节。患者在处理情绪时可能会使用这种方法来使自己远离癌症带来的创伤性体验。我们使用行为编码分析了从 138 名癌症患者那里收集的表达性写作样本，以研究使用“你”与癌症相关症状和心理结果之间的关系。GY 的出现频率较低，但我们的定性结果表明，使用 GY 如何创造一种普遍的癌症体验。GY 的使用与癌症相关症状和抑郁症状无关，但纵向分析显示，在干预后 1、4 和 10 个月的随访期间，使用 GY 的人侵入性思维和回避行为较少。应该探索发展心理自我疏远的方法，将其应用于写作干预或作为癌症患者的临床工具。
