Robot and AI applications in obsessive-compulsive disorder and related disorders: A bibliometric analysis of publications from 2010 to 2025

Recent advancements in robot and artificial intelligence (AI) applications show promise in mental health, particularly in treating obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and related disorders. This study aims to analyze the landscape of publications regarding robot and AI applications in OCD and related disorders.

Data were sourced from the PubMed database, with bibliometric and visualization analyses conducted to evaluate sources, institutions, countries, high-impact literature, and keywords relevant to the field.

A total of 179 articles were retrieved, authored by 1403 contributors. The overall number of published articles has shown a consistent upward trend, with "FRONTIERS IN PSYCHIATRY" emerging as the leading journal by publication volume. The top three contributing countries were China, the United States, and the Netherlands. Notably, China's multi-country publication (MCP) rate was only around 6 %. Additionally, Chinese authors had limited representation in high-impact literature, with only 2 out of the top 10 high-impact articles and just 1 out of the top 10 most cited articles. High-frequency keywords identified included "OCD", "Machine Learning" and "Artificial Intelligence" with robot references notably absent.

Regardless of the increased publication output from China, there is a critical need to enhance research quality and promote greater international collaboration to fully leverage the potential benefits of robot and AI applications for treating OCD and related disorders.