Considerations for collecting data in Maori population for automatic detection of schizophrenia using natural language processing: a New Zealand experience

In this paper, we describe the challenges of collecting data in the Maori population for automatic detection of schizophrenia using natural language processing (NLP). Existing psychometric tools for detecting are wide ranging and do not meet the health needs of indigenous persons considered at risk of developing psychosis and/or schizophrenia. Automated methods using NLP have been developed to detect psychosis and schizophrenia but lack cultural nuance in their designs. Research incorporating the cultural aspects relevant to indigenous communities is lacking in the design of existing automatic prediction tools and one of the main reasons is the scarcity of data from indigenous populations. This paper explores the current design of the New Zealand health care system and its potential impacts on access and inequities in the Maori population and details the methodology used to collect speech samples of Maori at risk of developing psychosis and schizophrenia. The paper also describes the major obstacles faced during speech data collection, key findings, and probable solutions.