A journey from darkness to dawn: Metaphoric variation in depression recovery stories posted on Chinese Wechat subscription accounts
Despite volumes of research on depression-related conceptual metaphors and the therapeutic function of client-generated metaphors, seldom efforts have been made to unveil clients’ positive changes signified by metaphoric variation in the context of recovery. Based on depression recovery stories post...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Language and Health |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2949903825000016 |
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| author | Lin Lin Rui Zhou Jia-jia Wang |
| author_facet | Lin Lin Rui Zhou Jia-jia Wang |
| author_sort | Lin Lin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Despite volumes of research on depression-related conceptual metaphors and the therapeutic function of client-generated metaphors, seldom efforts have been made to unveil clients’ positive changes signified by metaphoric variation in the context of recovery. Based on depression recovery stories posted on Chinese Wechat subscription accounts, this study unpicks evolved metaphoric patterns indicative of positive changes regarding altered attitudes toward depression, social interaction and healthcare services during depressed patients’ recovery. It is found that these varying patterns can be mostly decoded based on correspondence and class inclusion metaphor types, developing from specific original source-target relations or original elements of the sources, while the rest of them can be realized by the introduction of new sources or targets for elaborating new experience and outcomes. They reflect depression survivors’ positive thinking patterns, self-empowerment and resilience, and convey their experience-licensed suggestions and encouragement to peers. Additionally, this study discusses how the Chinese socio-cultural values play a vital role in the understanding of depression-related metaphors and their variation, and provides implications for the application of metaphoric techniques in healthcare practice with socio-cultural sensitivity. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a5233d76adc64cca978bfb71c661fa29 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2949-9038 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Language and Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-a5233d76adc64cca978bfb71c661fa292025-01-26T05:05:30ZengElsevierLanguage and Health2949-90382025-06-0131100046A journey from darkness to dawn: Metaphoric variation in depression recovery stories posted on Chinese Wechat subscription accountsLin Lin0Rui Zhou1Jia-jia Wang2School of English for International Business, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, China; Correspondence to: 2 Baiyun Avenue, Baiyun District of Guangzhou, Guangdong province, ChinaPsychiatry/Psychology Department, Guangzhou Red Cross Hospital, ChinaClinical Psychology/Psychosomatic Medicine Department, Shenzhen People's Hospital, ChinaDespite volumes of research on depression-related conceptual metaphors and the therapeutic function of client-generated metaphors, seldom efforts have been made to unveil clients’ positive changes signified by metaphoric variation in the context of recovery. Based on depression recovery stories posted on Chinese Wechat subscription accounts, this study unpicks evolved metaphoric patterns indicative of positive changes regarding altered attitudes toward depression, social interaction and healthcare services during depressed patients’ recovery. It is found that these varying patterns can be mostly decoded based on correspondence and class inclusion metaphor types, developing from specific original source-target relations or original elements of the sources, while the rest of them can be realized by the introduction of new sources or targets for elaborating new experience and outcomes. They reflect depression survivors’ positive thinking patterns, self-empowerment and resilience, and convey their experience-licensed suggestions and encouragement to peers. Additionally, this study discusses how the Chinese socio-cultural values play a vital role in the understanding of depression-related metaphors and their variation, and provides implications for the application of metaphoric techniques in healthcare practice with socio-cultural sensitivity.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2949903825000016Conceptual metaphorCorrespondence metaphor typeClass inclusion metaphor typedepression |
| spellingShingle | Lin Lin Rui Zhou Jia-jia Wang A journey from darkness to dawn: Metaphoric variation in depression recovery stories posted on Chinese Wechat subscription accounts Language and Health Conceptual metaphor Correspondence metaphor type Class inclusion metaphor type depression |
| title | A journey from darkness to dawn: Metaphoric variation in depression recovery stories posted on Chinese Wechat subscription accounts |
| title_full | A journey from darkness to dawn: Metaphoric variation in depression recovery stories posted on Chinese Wechat subscription accounts |
| title_fullStr | A journey from darkness to dawn: Metaphoric variation in depression recovery stories posted on Chinese Wechat subscription accounts |
| title_full_unstemmed | A journey from darkness to dawn: Metaphoric variation in depression recovery stories posted on Chinese Wechat subscription accounts |
| title_short | A journey from darkness to dawn: Metaphoric variation in depression recovery stories posted on Chinese Wechat subscription accounts |
| title_sort | journey from darkness to dawn metaphoric variation in depression recovery stories posted on chinese wechat subscription accounts |
| topic | Conceptual metaphor Correspondence metaphor type Class inclusion metaphor type depression |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2949903825000016 |
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