PAPER #73 - Qualitative analysis of narrative content and processes of fairy tales narrative plots. Application in mild depressive disorder.

Problem Statement: Psycho therapeutically use of fairy tales started with psycho dynamic school, following humanistic-experiential orientation and cognitive science, recognizing their importance for mental development in childhood but also in therapeutically frame by activating inner resources, coping mechanisms, increasing reliance and reframing personal experiences. Purpose of Study: To identify any differences and connections from narrative content elements and processes of fairy tales produced by participants (clinically normal vs. mild depressive condition), in order to revel the specificity of mental patterns associated with pathology or health. Research Methods: A new post-modernist approach combining quantitative and qualitative methods as thematic analysis (guided by structural morphology of fairy tales, Propp, 1958) and content discourse analysis using two models: Content narrative analysis model (Gonçalves et al., 2001) and Narrative Processuality model (Angus et al., 1996). Findings: Quantitative analyzes used SPSS.20 package. BDI.II scores divide sample in two subgroups: normally clinic (N= 29, m = 4.05) and mild depressive disorder (N = 25, m = 16.35). Findings reflect important differences about: personal relationships, contact with fairy tales over time, psychological themes. T-test reflects no significant differences between groups regarding dimensions of Setting, Characters and Events, but thematic diversity for normal condition. Similar findings reflect slightly lower level of positive subjectifying and objectifying in depressive condition and higher for negative subjectifying and metaphorisation. Pearson coefficient revels differences between groups regarding dynamics and connections of narrative content and processes, such as: Events and Characters (r=.648, p<.001), Setting and Events (r=.436, p<.001) and Themes and Characters (r=.338, p<.001) for clinically normal, and non for depressive condition but metaphorisation and negative subjectifying (r=.579, p<.005) and also with cognitive subjectifying (r=.562, p<.005). Conclusions: Differences reveled in narrative content and processes sustain capacity of fairy tales to identify patterns and template for social interaction, ability level of decoding social interactions, stimulating emotional experience and deep reflection about significant personal issue; mental mechanism for future projects; increasing empathy, developing creativity in generate new perspective and possibilities, etc. A new multidisciplinary approach could open an integrative vision on fairy tales, discovering their realistic, specific and useful therapeutically role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]