State of mind: Classification through self-reported affect and word use in speech

Human state-of-mind (SOM; e.g.: perception, cognition, attention) constantly shifts due to internal and external demands. Mental health is influenced by the habitual use of either adaptive or maladaptive SOM. Therefore, the training of conscious regulation of SOM could be promising in self-help (e- and m-health), blended care and psychotherapy. The presented study indicates that SOM can be influenced by telling personal narratives. Furthermore, SOM and narrative sentiment (positive vs. negative) can be predicted through word use. Such results lay the groundwork for the development of applications that analyse text and speech for: i) the early detection of mental health; ii) the early detection of maladaptive changes in emotion dynamics; (iii) the use of personal narratives to improve emotion regulation skills; iv) the distribution of tailored interventions; and finally, v) the evaluation of therapy outcome.