Research on functional constipation with anxiety or depression: a bibliometric analysis.

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Psychiatry
• Bibliometrics

Background:

• Functional constipation (FC) co-occurring with anxiety or depression is a recognized phenomenon.
• Despite extensive investigation, bibliometric studies on this topic are lacking.
• This study addresses the research gap by analyzing the status and trends of FC with anxiety or depression research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a bibliometric analysis of research on functional constipation (FC) associated with anxiety or depression.
• To identify research trends, key contributors, and emerging areas of interest.
• To provide insights for future research directions in this interdisciplinary field.

Main Methods:

• Bibliometric analysis of publications from 2003 to 2024.
• Data sourced from the Web of Science Core Collection.
• Analysis using CiteSpace and VOSviewer for publication trends, author contributions, country/institution output, and keyword co-occurrence.

Main Results:

• A significant upward trend in annual publications from 2003-2024 indicates growing research interest.
• A total of 427 publications were identified, predominantly original research articles (83.61%).
• The United States led in publications, with Harvard University as a leading institution and Michel Bouchoucha as a prolific author.

Conclusions:

• Future research should focus on the etiology and pathogenesis of FC with anxiety/depression, including the role of opioid drugs and the brain-gut axis.
• Clinical research should prioritize evidence-based medicine, randomized controlled trials, and robust meta-analyses.
• Novel treatment strategies such as fecal microbiota transplantation and biofeedback therapy warrant clinical exploration.