Using natural language processing to extract self-harm and suicidality data from a clinical sample of patients with eating disorders: a retrospective cohort study

Journal article

This study aims to improve the accuracy, speed, and safety of suicide risk assessment among adolescents in the digital ecosystems of smart cities. To achieve this goal, an integrated system architecture was developed that combines natural language processing methods, transformer models, and privacy-preserving computation. The methodological part includes large-scale textual data analysis, distributed processing in Apache Spark and Hadoop environments, and the use of federated learning, which allows models to be trained without transferring sensitive source information. The evaluation was conducted on open mental health datasets and supplemented by a series of experiments simulating the system's operation in real time, as well as surveys of specialists – psychologists, educators, and IT experts. The analysis showed that transformer models, particularly BERT, significantly outperform classical algorithms, achieving an AUC-ROC of 0.96 and an F1 score of 0.92 with an average response time of 2.4 seconds. Survey participants noted the importance of transparency and data protection, and the proposed architecture received high marks for reducing the risk of information leaks and providing robust audit mechanisms. The novelty of the work lies in the combination of predictive analytics, federated learning, differential privacy, and blockchain traceability in a single application-oriented system. The results show that ethically sound and rapid suicide risk detection can be implemented in schools, medical institutions, and municipal services, providing both practical benefits and contributing to methodological advancements

Authors: Cliffe, C; Seyedsalehi, A; Vardavoulia, K; Bittar, A; Velupillai, S

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: BMJ Publishing Group
• Journal: BMJ Open
• Volume: 11
• Issue: 12
• Pages: e053808-e053808
• Publication date: 2021-12-31
• Acceptance date: 2021-10-04
• DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-053808
• EISSN: 2044-6055
• ISSN: 2044-6055
• Language: English
• Keywords: Psychology; Retrospective cohort study; Medicine; Harm; Anorexia nervosa; Eating disorders; Suicide prevention; Poison control; Medical emergency; Psychiatry; Pathology; Mental health