Apologies in Crisis: The Link Between Perceived Burdensomeness and Suicide Risk in Online Text Communication.

Abstract

Introduction: Suicide is a leading cause of preventable death worldwide, with approximately 700,000 individuals dying by suicide annually. Recent studies have highlighted the importance of text-based risk assessments and the use of artificial intelligence technologies such as ChatGPT in suicide prevention. This study examined how intolerable interpersonal situations influence text communication, focusing on the relationship between perceived burdensomeness and the expression of apologetic messages.

Methods: A total of 120 university students participated in the Interpersonal Persistence Task (IPT), manipulating levels of perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness (high and low PB-TB conditions) to observe their effects on participants' desire to escape and communication behaviors.

Results: Participants in the high PB-TB condition reported higher levels of perceived burdensomeness and a stronger desire to escape the task. Regression analyses indicated that perceived burdensomeness predicted the frequency of apology expressions in the high PB-TB condition.

Conclusions: These findings suggest that perceived burdensomeness may influence the expression of apology in digital communication under interpersonal distress. While not directly indicative of suicide risk, apologetic messages could reflect psychological vulnerability in certain contexts.