Global research status and trends of compulsive sexual behavior disorder: A comprehensive bibliometric analysis

Compulsive sexual behavior disorder (CSBD) is a mental health condition that has attracted significant research attention, especially following its inclusion in the eleventh revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) by the World Health Organization. Despite this recognition, the field remains fragmented with ongoing debates about its classification and a lack of comprehensive cross-cultural research. In this study, bibliometrics was used to characterize the development status of CSBD over the past 25 years and to identify key research hotspots and future trends.

This study collected data from the Web of Science Core Collection and analyzed the literature related to CSBD from 2000 to 2024. A total 2,261 publications were examined for their characteristics, including annual publication volume, countries/regions, institutions, authors, journals, references, and keywords. Several bibliometric and visualization tools (e.g., VOSviewer, CiteSpace, Scimago Graphica, and Pajek) were used to conduct the analysis of co-authorship, co-citation, co-occurrence and descriptive.

The analysis identified a consistent upward trend in research interest in CSBD, particularly after its inclusion in ICD-11. Co-occurrence analysis of 82 author keywords with frequencies of more than 12 resulted in 5 clusters: (1) competing conceptualizations of CSBD; (2) comorbidity of CSBD with other psychiatric disorders; (3) assessment, risk factors, and treatment; (4) gender differences and sexual health; (5) CSB caused by neurological diseases. Moreover, the findings of countries/regions analysis indicate that publications are mainly from Western, educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic (WEIRD) countries/regions, and collaborative networks mainly connect countries from the North America and Europe. Despite its growing recognition, the field still lacks interdisciplinary collaboration and comprehensive studies from non-WEIRD contexts, highlighting a need for broader, cross-cultural research.

This study comprehensively maps global research trends in CSBD, identifies critical knowledge gaps, and provides a foundation for future research. By synthesizing the current research status, it aims to guide researchers toward emerging topics and foster a more cohesive understanding of CSBD.