Mapping Global Trends and Research Hotspots in Postoperative Depression: A Bibliometric Analysis

This bibliometric analysis is aimed at mapping global trends and research hotspots in postoperative depression, providing insights into the evolution and development of research in this field.

A comprehensive search was conducted in the Web of Science Core Collection database, focusing on literature from 1994 to 2024. Data extraction and visualization were performed using VOSviewer (Version 1.6.20), CiteSpace (Version 6.3.R1), and R (Version 4.3.3).

This study encompassed 687 scholarly articles from 54 countries. The United States contributed the largest number of articles, followed by China and the United Kingdom. High-output institutions from the United States include the University of California System and Harvard University. The Journal of Psychosomatic Research and Epilepsy were among the top journals by h-index. Aalto Timo, Airaksinen Olavi, and Sinikallio Sanna were among the most productive authors. High-frequency keywords included "quality-of-life," "anxiety," and "symptoms." Recent burst keywords "risk," "elderly patients," and "double blind" indicate emerging trends in the field, pointing toward an increased interest in identifying factors that may precipitate postoperative depression, the unique vulnerabilities of older adults, and the methodological rigor of double-blind studies in assessing interventions.

The research hotspots and trends in postoperative depression are centered around the impact of depression on surgical outcomes, the role of anxiety, and quality of life assessments. This study reveals a growing interest in predictors of postoperative depression and the exploration of novel therapeutic interventions, indicating an evolving and dynamic research area.