Schizophrenia in Medline 1950–2006: A bibliometric investigation

Abstract

The aim was to perform a bibliometric study, and compare the quantity of publications on schizophrenia with the total medical literature in Medline during 57 years, 1950-2006. The annual additions of literature to Medline are continually increasing and form the Medline growth curve. Comparisons of the number of publications on schizophrenia, or any other disease, to this curve, may be used to estimate the research activity. Methods for the identification of relevant references to papers on schizophrenia were evaluated and three different samples were operationally defined, retrieved and counted. During 1950-2006, 16.28 million references were added to Medline. Nearly 68000, 0.42%, references were related to schizophrenia. The percentage of papers on schizophrenia among the psychiatric literature decreased from 5.2 to 2.6%. The present study indicates that the number of references on schizophrenia in Medline has followed the general increase of medical publications. This pattern differs compared to some other research fields such as dementia, HIV, and peptic ulcer. Samples of references on schizophrenia may be retrieved in Medline by operational definitions of search methods. The quantity of schizophrenia research during 57 years has kept pace with the total medical literature. One interpretation of the results is that more resources are needed to enhance research activities on schizophrenia.

Bibliometric Analysis of Mental Health Research: 1980--2008

“…It thus provides an analytical basis for benchmarking mental health research trends in the past and for future assessment. It follows two previous bibliometric studies by Pincus et al (1993) and Theander and Wetterberg (2009 volume of research output -such as the US, the EU and Japan -tend to obtain relatively low international collaboration rates. This is not surprising as it is more difficult for researchers from a bigger country to find collaborators outside their borders.…”

Thirty years of scientific research on second-generation antipsychotic drugs in Japan: A bibliometric analysis

“…These authors also suggest that the attraction of research on schizophrenia may have been positively affected by the clinical perception of the greater seriousness of the illness compared to other psychiatric illnesses. Moreover, Theander and Wetterberg reported that the number of references on schizophrenia in MEDLINE has followed the general increase of medical publications, which accounts for 0.42% compared to the total medical literature in the period studied [18].…”

The structure of mental health research: networks of influence among psychiatry and clinical psychology journals

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