Global Research Trends in Community Psychiatry: A Bibliometric Analysis (2015-2025)

Abstract.

Objective: Community psychiatry, recognized as the "third psychiatry revolution," plays a pivotal role in mental health care by offering deinstitutionalized, accessible, and recovery-based approaches that promote social inclusion. The objective of this study was to conduct a bibliometric analysis to evaluate global research in community psychiatry, aiming to examine publication trends and document types in the field; the most active authors, institutions, and journals; and the most-cited articles.

Methods: A bibliometric analysis was conducted from 2015 to 2025 using data from the Scopus database. The search strategy included the keywords TITLE-ABS-KEY ("community psychiatry") for publications between 2015 and 2025 (specifically up to October 10, 2025), limited to English-language publications. VOSviewer was utilized for visualization and analysis.

Results: The analysis included 447 articles, predominantly original research. Publication volume showed a peak in 2020, potentially linked to the COVID-19 pandemic, while 2018 recorded the lowest output. Thematic analysis revealed a focus on community psychiatry's response to COVID-19, technological innovations, recovery-oriented models, and community engagement strategies. A notable limitation was the underrepresentation of research from non-Western countries.

Conclusion: The findings underscore the growing importance of community psychiatry and can guide future research priorities and the development of more effective mental health care strategies.

Prim Care Companion CNS Disord 2026;28(3):25m04107.

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