A bibliometric assessment of research trends and emerging themes at the nexus of chemotherapy and depression

Naunyn Schmiedebergs Arch Pharmacol. 2025 Aug 12. doi: 10.1007/s00210-025-04500-5. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: In recent years, research exploring the relationship between chemotherapy and depression has been on the rise. This study employs bibliometric methods to analyze the current state and emerging trends in this field, aiming to provide valuable insights for future investigations.

METHODS: Relevant literature on chemotherapy and depression published between January 1, 2014, and December 31, 2024, was retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection. Following rigorous screening, bibliometric analyses-including publication volume assessment, collaboration network mapping, clustering analysis, and citation burst detection-were conducted using VOSviewer and CiteSpace software.

RESULTS: The number of publications on chemotherapy and depression has increased annually. The United States leads in both publication volume and citation frequency, and demonstrates the highest level of international collaboration. The institutions and authors with the most publications and citations are also based in the United States. Supportive Care in Cancer is the journal with the highest number of publications and citations in this field. The most cited article is “The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale” by A. S. Zigmond et al., published in Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica in 1983. The twenty most frequently used keywords include quality of life, depression, breast cancer, chemotherapy, women, survivor, anxiety, prevalence, fatigue, symptom, therapy, impact, validation, management, health, hospital anxiety, intervention, pain, distress, and psychological distress. “Randomized controlled trial” is the keyword with the strongest citation burst in this field, while the keyword “support” is currently experiencing a surge in citations.

CONCLUSION: This study employs bibliometric methods to analyze publication trends in the field of chemotherapy and depression, examining collaborative networks among countries, institutions, and authors, as well as recent research hotspots. The objective data presented herein provide valuable references for ongoing research in this domain.

PMID:40794179 | DOI:10.1007/s00210-025-04500-5