THE INFLUENCE OF LANGUAGE ON MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS: A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW
Keywords:
Language, mental health, wellness, social constructionism, cognitive linguistics, discourse analysisAbstract
Language plays a very important role in shaping mental health perceptions, emotions, and cognitive processes. This multidisciplinary review synthesizes evidence from psychology, linguistics, and sociology to examine the complex relationship between language and mental wellness. A systematic search of major databases yielded many studies that met inclusion criteria. Results highlight language’s impact on mental health through stigma, emotional regulation, social support, and cognitive biases. Theoretical frameworks, including social constructionism, cognitive linguistics, and discourse analysis, provide nuanced insights. Implications for practice include language-aware therapy, mental health literacy and supportive communication. Limitations and further research directive are also discussed.
References
Bhasin, Hitesh (2020). The Importance of Language Explained in Detail. Marketing 91. https://www.marketing91.com
Burr, V. (1995). An Introduction to Social Constructionism. London: Routeledge.
Gergen, K. J. (1985). The Social Connectionist Movement in Modern Psychology. American Psychologist.
Kisembe, D. (2018). Language, Culture and Conflict Resolution: A Case of Kiswahili as a Unifying Language in Kenya. Munich: GRIN Verlag. https://www.grin.com/documents/433194
Klein, B., Horn, A. B., Krachanmann, R., Mehl, M. R., & Ehlers, A. (2018). Early linguistic markers of trauma-specific processing predict post-trauma adjustment. Front Psychiatry Publishers, 9.
Lakoff, R. (1973). The logic of politeness: Or, minding your p's and q's. In C. Corum, T. Cedric Smith-Stark, & A. Weiser (Eds.), Papers from the 9th Regional Meeting of the Chicago Linguistic Society.
Owen, I. R. (1995). El Constructionismo Social y la Teoria, Practica e Investigacion en...
Sapir, E. (1963). Language: An Introduction to the Study of Speech. New York: W. W. Norton and Company.
Spencer-Oatey, H. (2008). Face, impoliteness and rapport. In H. Spencer-Oatey (Ed.), Culturally Speaking: Culture, Communication and Politeness Theory. London & New York: Continuum.
Tausczik, Y. R., & Pennebark, J. W. (2009). The psychological meaning of words: LIWC and computerised text analysis methods. Journal of Language and Social Psychology, 29.
Van Den Broek, P., & Thurhowl, R. (2001). The role and structure of personal narratives. Journal of Gorgen Psychotter, 5.
Volkow, N. D., Gordon, J. A., & Korb, G. F. (2021). Choosing appropriate language to reduce the stigma around mental illness and substance use disorders. Neuropsychopharmacology, 46.