Thirty Years of Publications in Suicidology: A Bibliometric Analysis

Does Gender Predict Research Productivity? The Case of Prolific Suicidologists

Aims: While there is substantial literature on gender and research productivity, bearing mixed results, no study is available for suicidology. The present investigation fills this gap and focuses on an influential elite. Methods: Data are taken from the Web of Science (WoS). They refer to the most prolific suicidologists (N = 116) with 70 or more works on the subject of suicide cited in WoS. Measures of research productivity include the number of works on suicide, citations to these works, and the h-index. The link between gender and the measures of research productivity is adjusted for years of experience, membership in a local research cluster, and region of the world. Results: Adjusting for the other predictors, males had more publications than females. However, gender did not predict either measure of quality of research (citations, h-index). Years of experience, as well as membership in a research cluster, predicted research productivity in most analyses. Region was unrelated to research productivity. Limitations: Further work on productivity might assess additional potential predictors including marital status, grant funding, and presence of young children. Conclusion: There is no significant difference between the genders in research quality. Similar results have been noted in previous work on prolific scientists.

The effect of economic downturn, financial hardship, unemployment, and relevant government responses on suicide

Economic circumstances and related factors, including unemployment and poverty, can have substantial effects on suicide rates. This relationship applies in all countries, irrespective of their World Bank income status or level of development. Therefore, means of mitigating such influences are essential components of strategies to reduce suicides. In this Series paper, we consider examples of such initiatives, including national policies to try to reduce the effect of economic downturns, efforts to maintain employment and avoid damaging austerity measures, maintenance of reasonable minimum wage levels, and specific policies to assist those most affected by poverty. We also highlight upstream measures such as investment in transport infrastructure, industries, and retraining programmes. Positive public health messaging that encourages coping, together with discouragement of media stories with messages that could contribute to hopelessness in those experiencing economic difficulties, can also be important components of strategies to try to reduce the effect of economic downturn on suicide.

A scientometric analysis and visualisation of elderly suicide research from 1951 to 2022

BACKGROUND

There are still many gaps in both national and international literature on elderly suicide. This study aimed to identify the most influential journals in elderly suicide, the countries and authors that contribute the most to the field, and the trends in the field.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Studies published on elderly suicide between 1951 and 2022 were retrieved utilising the Web of Science Core Collection. Co-authorship analysis of countries and authors, as well as co-occurrence analysis of keywords, were conducted using VOSviewer 1.6.18.

RESULTS

There were 2864 articles retrieved, including 95 countries, 889 academic journals, 9162 authors and 4160 keywords. The number of publications in this field has significantly increased after the 2000s, and the United States is the most productive country (996). The most prolific author is Yeates Conwell, while the journal with the highest number of publications in this field is the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry. Other than 'suicide' and 'elderly', the most trending keywords are 'depression', 'primary care', 'treatment', 'antidepressant', 'loneliness', 'quality of life' and 'COVID-19'.

CONCLUSION

There has been an increase in both the thematic diversity and quantity of studies on elderly suicide over time. However, these publications predominantly originate from socioeconomically affluent countries with relatively low suicide rates. While the increasing numbers of publications from developing countries in recent years are promising, there is a greater need for publications from countries with lower socioeconomic status for the prevention or intervention of elderly suicides.

Impact of Toxoplasma gondii and Human Microbiome on Suicidal Behavior: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

Suicide remains a persistent global health challenge, resisting widespread prevention efforts. According to previous findings, toxoplasmosis is particularly associated with altered decision making, which could lead to risk-taking behavior, thereby increasing the likelihood for suicidal behavior (SB). In addition, discussion about the role of microbiome in psychiatric disorders has emerged lately, which also makes it relevant to investigate its role in the context of SB. Therefore, two systematic reviews are integrated in this paper, and the existing knowledge is comprehensively summarized regarding the association between microbial pathogens and SB.

METHODS

We conducted a systematic search with keywords including SB and Toxoplasma gondii (Suicid* AND Toxoplasm*) and microbiome (Suicid* AND Microbiome AND Microbiota) throughout PubMed and Scopus to retrieve related studies up to 9 November 2023, identifying 24 eligible records. The subjects of the included studies had to have fulfilled the criteria of an SB disorder as defined by DSM-5, and death cases needed to have been defined as suicide.

RESULTS

Most studies reported significant association between toxoplasmosis and SB, suggesting a higher likelihood of SB in the infected population. Regarding the microbiome, only very few studies investigated an association between SB and alterations in the microbiome. Based on six included studies, there were some indications of a link between changes in the microbiome and SB.

CONCLUSION

The cognitive aspects of decision making in T. gondii-infected individuals with SB should be further investigated to unravel the underlying mechanisms. Further sufficiently powered studies are needed to establish a link between SB and alterations in the microbiome.

The Origins and Evolution of the Field of Masculinity and Suicide: A Bibliometric and Content Analysis of the Research Field

BACKGROUND

In most countries, men complete suicide at twice the rate of women; masculinity plays an important role in placing men at a greater risk of suicide. This study identifies and describes trends in the topics discussed within the masculinity and suicide literature and explores changes over time.

METHODS

We retrieved publications relating to masculinity and suicide from eight electronic databases and described origins in the field of research by reference to the first decade of publications. We then explored the subsequent evolution of the field by analysis of the content of article titles/abstracts for all years since the topic first emerged, and then separately by three epochs.

RESULTS

We included 452 publications (1954-2021); research output has grown substantially in the last five years. Early publications framed suicide in the context of severe mental illness, masculinity as a risk factor, and suicidality as being aggressive and masculine. We observed some differences in themes over time: Epoch 1 focused on sex differences in suicidality, a common theme in epochs 2 was relationship to work and its effect on men's mental health and suicidality, and epoch 3 had a focus on help-seeking in suicidality.

CONCLUSION

The research field of masculinity and suicide is growing strongly, as evidenced by recent increase in publication volume. The structure, content and direction of the masculinity and suicide research are still evolving. Researchers must work with policymakers and practitioners to ensure that emerging findings are translated for use in programs designed to address suicide in boys and men.HIGHLIGHTSMasculinity and suicide as a field is not new, with its origins in the literature dating back to 1954.More than half of the total research output in the field (1954-2021) has been published in the last five years.Early work focused on individual-level risk factors to male suicide (e.g., severe mental illness), while contemporary research focused on social and cultural determinants of male suicide (e.g., help-seeking).

Hikikomori: A perspective from bibliometric analysis

AIMS

Hikikomori is a common phenomenon reported in Japan and many other countries. However, the broad trends of the research publications on hikikomori are unclear. Therefore, this study examined the patterns of research on hikikomori using bibliometric analysis.

METHODS

Relevant publications were searched in Web of Science. Bibliometric analyses were performed with CiteSpace, R and VOSviewer.

RESULTS

In total, 297 publications on hikikomori met the eligibility criteria. The International Journal of Social Psychiatry (IF = 10.461) published the most papers (K = 17, or 5.7%) on hikikomori. Takahiro A. Kato from Kyushu University (41; 13.8%; H-index = 18) was the most influential author, while Takahiro A. Kato (total link strength [TLS]: 235), Alan R. Teo (TLS: 157), and Masaru Tateno (TLS: 153) separately had the strongest research collaboration with other researchers. Of all countries that published on hikikomori, Japan had the highest number of publications (K = 91). The keywords "United States" and "psychiatric diagnosis" received the most attention between 2013 and 2015, whereas "health" and "autism spectrum disorder" received the most attention in 2021 and 2022.

CONCLUSIONS

Peer-reviewed research publications on hikikomori are growing rapidly and the research trends in this field are also changing.

The Top 100 Most Cited Publications on Suicide: A Citation Analysis

Suicide is one of the leading causes of death globally and a matter of public health concern. Biomedical research on suicide has grown exponentially over the past few decades. Although numerous articles are published on suicide, only some exert significant influence in the evolution of scientific understanding. The number of citations a publication receives are a proxy marker of its impact on the field. Hence we aimed to analyze 100 top-cited articles on suicide till May, 2023, using Google scholar as the search database. These citation classics provide important insights into the historical development and trends in suicide research.

Ketamine and esketamine in suicidal thoughts and behaviors: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

More than 2% of the general population experience suicidal ideas each year and a large number of them will attempt suicide. Evidence-based therapeutic options to manage suicidal crisis are currently limited.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to overview the findings on the use of ketamine and esketamine for the treatment of suicidal ideas and acts.

DESIGN

Systematic review.

DATA SOURCES AND METHODS

PubMed, article references, and Clinicaltrials.gov up to June 30, 2022. Meta-analyses published within the last 2 years were also reviewed.

RESULTS

We identified 12 randomized controlled trials with reduction of suicidal ideation as the primary objective and 14 trials as secondary objectives. Intravenous racemic ketamine was superior to control drugs (placebo or midazolam) within the first 72 h, in spite of large placebo effects. Adverse events were minor and transient. In contrast, intranasal esketamine did not differ from placebo in large-scale studies. Limitations, clinical considerations, and opportunities for future research include the following points: large placebo effects when studying suicidal ideation reduction; small concerns about blinding quality due to dissociative effects; no studies on the risk/prevention of suicidal acts and mortality; lack of studies beyond affective disorders; no studies in adolescents and older people; lack of knowledge of long-term side effects, notably liability for abuse; no robust predictive markers; limited understanding of the mechanisms of ketamine on suicidal ideas; need for improved assessment of suicidal ideation in clinical trials; need for studies in outpatient settings, emergency room, and liaison consultation; need for research on ketamine administration; limited knowledge on the positive and negative effects of concomitant treatments.

CONCLUSION

Overall, there is compelling evidence for a favorable short-term benefit-risk balance with intravenous racemic ketamine but not intranasal esketamine. The place of ketamine will have to be defined within a multimodal care strategy for suicidal patients. Caution remains necessary for clinical use, and pharmacovigilance will be essential.

Investigating the Clinical Profile of Suicide Attempters Who Used a Violent Suicidal Means

In our study, we aimed to explore the profile of the high-risk subgroup of suicide attempters that used a violent means compared to suicide attempters that chose a non-violent suicide means. Therefore, we recruited a sample of inpatients with recent suicide attempts in three psychiatric hospitals in Thuringia, Germany. We used a structured clinical interview to assess the psychiatric diagnoses, sociodemographic data, and characteristics of the suicide attempt. Furthermore, we used several validated clinical questionnaires to measure suicidal ideations, suicide intent, depression severity, hopelessness, impulsivity, aggression, anger expression, and childhood trauma. We compared 41 individuals using violent means to 59 using non-violent means with univariate and multivariate statistical analyses. We found significantly (corrected for multiple comparisons) higher levels of impulsivity-related sensation-seeking in violent suicide attempters in univariate and multivariate analyses, and additionally in anger expression directed inward at an uncorrected statistical threshold. Besides that, there were no significant differences between the two groups. We assume that underlying neurocognitive mechanisms, such as impaired decision-making processes and/or differences in risk/loss assessment, could explain the higher levels of questionnaire-based sensation-seeking in subjects who use violent suicide means. Further research is needed, including neuroimaging and biochemical techniques, to gain more insight into the mechanisms underlying the choice of a suicidal means.

Global Scientific Outputs of Schizophrenia Publications From 1975 to 2020: a Bibliometric Analysis

Schizophrenia is a choronic, complex and powerfully inherited mental illness that seriously affects quality of life. The illness is one of the most researched psychiatric disorders from past to present. This study aims to provide a holistic summary of the global scientific outputs through bibliometric analyses and reveal the trend topics. The articles published between the years 1975 and 2020 were downloaded from the Web of Science (WoS) database and analyzed using bibliometric methods. The literature review was conducted using the keyword ''schizophren*'' in the ''Research Area'' category. The relation between the number of publications of the countries and the Gross Domestic Products and Human Development Index values were analyzed using Spearman's correlation coefficient. The number of articles between the years 2021 and 2032 was estimated through linear regression analysis.There were 103,992 publications, 51,117 of which were articles. The number of studies has increased in direct proportion to the development level of the countries. Schizophrenia Research was the most active journal. The most used research topics are cognition, negative symptoms, bipolar disorder, antipsychotics, depression, clozapine, quality of life. Trend keywords used in recent years are 'inflammation', 'biomarker', 'oxidative stress', 'Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF)', 'social cognition', 'metacognition', 'motivation', 'social functioning', 'functioning', 'mental health', 'metabolic syndrome', 'functional connectivity', 'adherence' and 'recovery' indicated new research frontiers in this field. Although schizophrenia has not been fully elucidated, studies are growing like an avalanche. Our study includes the most up-to-date and most comprehensive data ever made in this field.

Suicide capacity within the ideation-to-action framework: a scoping review protocol

INTRODUCTION

A core facilitator of the transition from suicidal thoughts to suicide attempt is the individual's capacity for suicide. Suicide capacity is a theoretically universal concept adaptable for specific groups that is hypothesised to comprise three contributing factors: acquired capability, for example, previous self-harm; dispositional, such as genetic influences and practical, knowledge of and access to lethal means. Given that suicide capacity as a concept is continuing to develop, a review and synthesis of the current literature is timely to ensure future research and development of suicide prevention strategies are based on evidential knowledge. The aim of this review is to map the available evidence to provide an overview of factors that contribute to an adult's capacity for suicide.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

This review will encompass five stages. Studies will be identified through broad search strings applied to 11 academic databases: Academic Search Ultimate, APA PsycArticles, APA PsycINFO, CINAHL, Psychology & Behavioural Sciences, & Sociology Source Ultimate via EBSCOHost Megafile Ultimate; PubMed; Science Direct; Wiley Online; Taylor & Francis and ProQuest dissertations and theses. Grey literature databases and key suicide organisations will also be searched for relevant literature. Two reviewers will independently screen titles and abstracts then review full texts to identify articles meeting inclusion criteria. Articles will be assessed for eligibility based on suicide attempt history, primary research study design, language and publication date. Data from eligible full texts will be extracted using a predesigned template for analysis. The synthesisation method will be textual narrative synthesis with an incorporated quality appraisal checklist tool.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Ethics approval is not required for this scoping review as no human participants are involved. Study findings will be shared with key suicide organisations, through peer-reviewed publications, and conference presentations.

[Thirty years of research in suicidology in France: A bibliometric study]

OBJECTIVES

To study the quantitative evolution of research in suicidology in France for 30 years.

METHODS

Analysis of the Web of Science database; identification of publications between 1989 and 2018 with at least one author with an affiliation in France and focusing on suicidal behavior and self-inflicted acts.

RESULTS

In total, 1188 publications were identified. Over 30 years, the number of publications has been multiplied by 8.8 (particularly since 2005), a growth higher than those published in psychiatry and science in France, and in suicidology worldwide. France has contributed 3.3% of global publications since 2014 (ranks 8th in the world, recently outnumbered by South Korea and China) and 10.6% of European publications (ranks 3rd after the United Kingdom and Germany). The number of international co-publications has risen sharply over the last 30 years (44.9% between 2014 and 2018), notably with the USA, Canada and Spain. Use of English has increased from 37 to 78% of publications. Inserm, and the Universities and Academic hospitals of Paris and Montpellier are among the first institutions in terms of number of publications. Twenty-one of the 30 most published authors are men. The mention of the origin of the financing of the publications is increasing but remains limited.

CONCLUSION

Suicidology has been a dynamic field of research in France for the last fifteen years, with a growing international visibility, but there is also room for improvement. An effort remains to be made to improve women's place in these publications.