Assessing suicide risk is a complex and multifaceted challenge that requires consideration of a wide range of personal, social, and cultural factors (Graney et al., 2020). With the development of AI-based models like ChatGPT, new opportunities have emerged to improve the accuracy and efficiency of risk assessment processes (Levkovich & Elyoseph, 2023). However, the considerations and risk factors that these models use to assess risk remain a black box. To fully harness the potential of these technologies, it is crucial to examine their ability to account for cultural and gender differences when conducting risk assessments. While large language models (LLMs) hold the promise of providing culturally tailored responses (Elyoseph et al., 2024) there is a concern that cultural biases and the fear of being perceived as racist may hinder the integration of important cultural factors into clinical judgment (Elyoseph et al., 2024; Hadar-Shoval et al., 2024). This research aims to investigate how advanced language models, such as ChatGPT-3.5 and ChatGPT-4, incorporate culture- and gender-related risk factors into their suicide risk assessments. This examination is vital for developing culturally sensitive and effective tools for suicide risk assessment that can help bridge gaps in mental health services worldwide.
Artificial intelligence (AI) has been applied in a myriad of fields, from medicine to mental health (Elyoseph & Levkovich, 2023; Kang, 2021; Tal et al, 2023; Xu et al., 2023). In the realm of cultural diversity, AI offers promise in addressing mental health disparities by tailoring interventions to historically underserved populations, transcending language barriers, and promoting cultural sensitivity (Fiske et al., 2019; van Heerden et al., 2023). These endeavors include creating mental health programs in underrepresented languages and supporting community-focused initiatives. Nevertheless, AI can also introduce inequalities due to variable access, language limitations, and cultural biases (Elyoseph & Levkovich, 2023; Wampold & Flückiger, 2023). Therefore, in utilizing AI in mental health we must consider the impact within diverse cultural contexts and balance the potential benefits and challenges. The current study examines the use of artificial intelligence in the field of suicide assessment in the context of cultural and gender differences.
Suicide constitutes a critical challenge within the sphere of public health that necessitates immediate attention and intervention (Levi-Belz et al., 2022; Qian, 2021; WHO, 2020). Suicidality, an urgent concern within public health, is beset by obstacles to accurate assessment, including issues related to psychometric intricacies as well as barriers in community accessibility (Baek et al.,2021). The complex issue of suicide covers a spectrum of behaviors ranging from suicidal thoughts to serious attempts and actual deaths (Knipe et al., 2022). These actions vary in severity and have broad social and public health impacts (Gvion & Levi-Belz, 2018). Risk factors differ across demographic and social groups, reflecting both individual and societal well-being (Feigelman et al., 2019). Despite academic focus on demographic and economic factors, the varying rates across countries highlight that no single factor provides a full explanation (Bowden et al., 2020).
Research literature has devoted substantial resources toward developing evidence-based preventative measures, underscoring the pivotal role played by healthcare professionals in the early detection and crisis management of at-risk individuals (Bolton et al.,2015). To extend the reach of risk assessment protocols, recent initiatives have invested in training community gatekeepers (Bolton et al.,2015). Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as a viable mechanism for augmenting the decision-making abilities of these community figures, with prospective advantages in terms of both diagnostic precision and public reach (Elyoseph & Levkovich, 2023; Levkovich & Elyoseph, 2023). Nevertheless, the capacity of AI algorithms to account for multicultural sensitivities has not been adequately examined. The present inquiry seeks to redress this lacuna by scrutinizing the manner in which AI algorithms allocate weight to salient cultural variables in their assessments of suicidality.
The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (WHO, 2020) published the following data, originally taken from the WHO Mortality Database: South Korea has the highest suicide rate in the developed world, with 24.1 suicides per 100,000 people (Kim et al., 2019). In contrast, the suicide rate in Greece is as low as 3.9 per 100,000 people. In this study, we chose to examine the country that tops the suicide frequency list as well as one that is at the bottom. Due to underreporting in different countries, actual rates may vary.
More than 800,000 individuals worldwide succumb to suicide each year (WHO, 2020). South Korea exhibits the highest incidence of suicide among OECD countries, with prevalence prominently higher among males and older adults. The suicide rate in South Korea is more than double the OECD average, which stands at 11.0 suicides per 100,000 people (WHO, 2020). Beginning in 1992, the aggregate rate of suicide in South Korea has exhibited an upward trajectory. This escalating trend was notably exacerbated in 1998, coinciding with the onset of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) crisis. Moreover, it subsequently intensified in 2009, in the immediate aftermath of the global financial crisis (Baek et al., 2021). Supplementary explanations for this trend chiefly attribute it to demographic aging, with a concomitant rise in suicide rates particularly among older and middle-aged populations (Kim et al., 2020; Lee et al., 2017). The erosion of traditional family-centered values coupled with economic deprivation among older adults have been posited as contributing factors to the rise in the number of suicides within this demographic group (Chang et al., 2009). Additionally, the marked escalation in suicides by gas poisoning, which surged more than twenty-fold during the first decade of the 21st century, suggests that accessibility of this facile means of suicide may play a role in amplifying the suicide rate (Lim et al., 2014). Cross-sectional analyses have further identified lower educational attainment, rural domicile, area-level socioeconomic deprivation (Kim, 2020), and diminished income (Lee et al., 2017; Lee et al., 2022) as potential variables linked to elevated suicide risk.
In addition, the heightened prevalence of divorces in South Korea is considered a partial explanatory variable for elevated suicide rates (Kim, 2020; Yamaoka et al., 2020), with divorce identified as a pivotal risk factor for suicide. Three principal mechanisms have been posited to explain this relationship: first, divorce leads to the disintegration of social and familial ties, thereby exacerbating psychological distress (Yamaoka et al., 2020); second, the termination of emotional interdependence between spouses intensifies emotional distress; and third, divorce often precipitates financial vulnerabilities, especially among women, due to insufficient welfare provisions and the demands of single parenthood (Lee et al., 2017; Lee et al., 2022). Taken together, these contributing factors heighten the suicide rate among divorcees, affirming the complex and multifactorial nature of suicide risk.
Greece, in contrast, currently has one of the world’s lowest suicide rates. Yet this has not always been the case. In view of the economic crisis that has enveloped Europe since 2008, rising suicide rates in Greece attracted heightened scrutiny. That economically turbulent period characterized by elevated unemployment rates and negative economic growth had a discernible impact on various dimensions of everyday life, and presumably on mental health. Research conducted across European Union nations corroborates this observation by identifying an association between suicide mortality rates and unemployment (Stuckler et al., 2009). Research literature examining Greece reported alarming increases in suicide rates, peaking at up to 40% (Kontaxakis et al., 2013; Rachiotis et al., 2015). This rise was more pronounced among women, who exhibited an increase of 69.6%, compared to 33.1% among men (Kontaxakis et al., 2013). Another study identified a 35% uptick in suicides in Greece between 2010 and 2012. This study also found that unemployment was significantly related to suicide mortality, particularly among men of working age, a pattern in line with the onset of austerity measures (Rachiotis et al., 2015).
Several primary factors can explain the marked decline in suicide rates in Greece in recent years. First, empirical research suggests that countries close to the Mediterranean Sea generally exhibit lower suicide rates, possibly due to the region's more relaxed lifestyle (Eskin, 2020). Second, suicide rates demonstrate substantial intersocietal variation (Mortier et al., 2018). A comparative analysis across 22 nations revealed that elevated suicide rates were primarily found in three largely Catholic countries: Slovenia, France, and Croatia (Eskin, 2020). Nevertheless, even though the role of religious belief as a protective factor against suicidal tendencies has been substantiated by research (Gearing & Alonzo, 2018), research literature on non-fatal suicidal behavior in Mediterranean countries is limited. Some studies indicate that while religious affiliation may not guard against suicidal ideation, it does appear to deter actual suicide attempts (Lawrence et al., 2016).
The Chat Generative Pre-Trained Transformer (ChatGPT) is an AI-based language model with applications across diverse sectors, including education, scientific research, and healthcare (Hadar-Shoval et al., 2023; Fraiwan et al., 2023; Tal et al., 2023). Recently, ChatGPT has demonstrated its potential in medical contexts, particularly in mental health (Levkovich & Elyoseph, 2023; Hadar-Shoval et al., 2023; Tal et al., 2023). Its machine-learning algorithms, trained on extensive healthcare data, have the potential to assist clinicians in decision-making and enhance the predictive accuracy of tools assessing suicidal behavior (Elyoseph & Levkovich, 2023; Sallam, 2023). Nevertheless, adoption of ChatGPT requires careful evaluation due to limitations and costs (Sallam, 2023; Tal et al., 2023). For instance, ChatGPT has been found to underestimate suicide risks, raising questions about its reliability in critical assessments (Elyoseph & Levkovich, 2023). Moreover, training the model on online data poses risks of disseminating inaccurate information, which is a matter of particular concern in the case of individuals with mental health disorders (Cheng et al., 2023).
Therefore, while ChatGPT offers promising avenues in mental healthcare, its limitations necessitate cautious implementation (Sallam, 2023; Tal et al., 2023). The challenge of accessing reliable suicide risk assessments is particularly acute in developing countries. This issue is further complicated by the global trend toward the expansion of cultural diversity within nations, making intercultural considerations essential even in Western settings. The current research seeks to address this gap by investigating whether artificial intelligence can effectively incorporate cultural factors in its suicide risk assessments. The ultimate aspiration is to leverage AI technology to provide personalized and culturally sensitive mental health services on a global scale.
The current study sought to examine whether ChatGPT-3.5 and ChatGPT-4 incorporate risk factors such as country/culture in their assessments of suicide risk. These risk assessments include the likelihood of serious suicide attempts, suicide attempts, and suicidal thoughts. We hypothesized that compared to ChatGPT-3.5, ChatGPT-4 would exhibit enhanced consideration of these suicide risk factors.