Scientometrics
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Psychiatry. Jul 19, 2024; 14(7): 1127-1139
Published online Jul 19, 2024. doi: 10.5498/wjp.v14.i7.1127
Emerging global interest: Unraveling the link between diabetes mellitus and depression
Samah W Al-Jabi
Samah W Al-Jabi, Department of Clinical and Community Pharmacy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, An-Najah National University, Nablus 44839, Palestine
Author contributions: Al-Jabi SW developed the concept for the manuscript, reviewed the literature, formulated research questions, collected the data, conducted analyses and interpreted the data; and the author read and approved the final manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The author reports no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
PRISMA 2009 Checklist statement: The author has read the PRISMA 2009 Checklist, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the PRISMA 2009 Checklist.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: Https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Samah W Al-Jabi, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Clinical and Community Pharmacy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, An-Najah National University, Academic Street, Nablus 44839, Palestine. samahjabi@yahoo.com
Received: May 5, 2024
Revised: June 3, 2024
Accepted: June 19, 2024
Published online: July 19, 2024
Processing time: 68 Days and 2.1 Hours
Abstract
BACKGROUND

Studies have shown a strong bidirectional association between diabetes and depression, with diabetes increasing the risk of developing depression and vice versa. Depression among patients with diabetes is associated with poor glycemic control, complications, and poor self-care.

AIM

To explore the present state of research globally concerning diabetes and depression, to aid understanding the current research landscape and identify potential future areas of research.

METHODS

A bibliometric approach was used, utilizing the Scopus database to gather pertinent research articles released from 2004 to 2023. Analyses encompassed publication patterns, significant contributors, research focal points, prevalent themes, and the most influential articles, aimed at discerning emerging research subjects.

RESULTS

A total of 3229 publications that met the search criteria were identified. A significant increase in the number of publications related to diabetes and depression has been observed in the past two decades. The most productive nation was the USA (n = 1015; 31.43%), followed by China (n = 325; 10.07%), the UK (n = 236; 7.31%), and Germany (n = 218; 6.75%). Three principal themes in research on depression and diabetes were delineated by the analysis. First, the exploration of the elevated prevalence and etiology of this comorbidity; second, the focus on interventions, particularly randomized controlled trials, aimed at enhancing diabetes management among individuals with depression; and finally, the investigation of the involved risk factors and biological mechanisms underlying this bidirectional relationship.

CONCLUSION

There has been a recent surge of interest in the relationship between diabetes and depression. This could aid researchers to identify areas lacking in the literature and shape future research.

Keywords: Diabetes mellitus; Depression; Bibliometric; Visualization; Global

Core Tip: Although there have been numerous studies examining research productivity in diabetes or depression separately, there is a notable absence of a bibliometric analysis concentrating on the intersection of both conditions. Conducting bibliometrics in this regard will enable us to pinpoint the primary countries, institutions, journals, and research themes involved. Such insights will provide more comprehensive understanding of the present research landscape and offer guidance for future inquiries. By analyzing publication patterns across time, we can anticipate burgeoning areas of interest, thereby aiding in research funding allocations, program formulation, and policy development.