The increasing internationalization of mainstream posttraumatic stress disorder research: A bibliometric study

Abstract

The aim of this study was to quantify changes in the national contributions to research related to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from 1983 through 2002. Using the Web of Science database (Thomson Scientific, Philadelphia, PA), we classified articles according to the year of publication and the country of the authors. The number of publishing countries increased from 7 between 1983 and 1987 to 39 between 1998 and 2002. Meanwhile, the U.S. output share declined from 87.6% in the first period to 62.4%. Although the number of countries publishing on PTSD has steadily increased, research is still dominated qualitatively and quantitatively by developed countries. These findings suggest a growing international acceptance of this diagnostic category. However, the immaturity of PTSD research is demonstrated by the concentration of publications in a few countries.

Is traumatic stress research global? A bibliometric analysis

“…Bibliometric analyses specifically focusing on traumatic stress research previously addressed variables such as corresponding author affiliation and language of publication (Bedard et al, 2004; Figueira et al, 2007, Olff & Vermetten, 2013). However, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first analysis that additionally investigates the countries in which empirical studies have been conducted, to what extent these studies represent international collaborations, their funding and how accessible the recent literature is.…”

“…Our current insight in the status of traumatic stress research around the world is based on analyses of the literature of more than a decade ago. The trend of internationalization up to 2002 as described by Bedard et al (2004) and Figueira et al (2007) may have continued, accelerated or stalled, with potentially important implications for future research and funding efforts.…”

“…Nevertheless, there is evidence that traumatic stress research has not been evenly occurring in different areas of the world (Bedard et al, 2004; Figueira et al, 2007; Olff & Vermetten, 2013; Patel & Sumathipala, 2001). For example, in a bibliometric review of the posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) literature between 1983 and 2002, Figueira et al (2007) reported that overall, 69% of the papers originated from the United States.…”

“…For example, in a bibliometric review of the posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) literature between 1983 and 2002, Figueira et al (2007) reported that overall, 69% of the papers originated from the United States. This percentage decreased from 88% in the period 1983–1987 to 62% in the period 1998–2002.…”

Decreased Premotor Cortex Volume in Victims of Urban Violence with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

“…Lifetime prevalence of PTSD in the general population of the United States was estimated at 7.8% [2]. PTSD follows a chronic course that causes patients to experience significant functional impairment and increase their usage of healthcare resources, resulting in substantial personal and societal costs [3], [4].…”