Research hotspots and trends in the relationship between genetics and major depressive disorder: A scientometric analysis from 2003 to 2023

Abstract

To determine current research objectives and predict future trends in studies on the relationship between genetics and major depressive disorder (MDD). We collected the publications in the last 20 years (2003–2023) related to genetics and MDD in the Web of Science database, and applied Citespace to assess the knowledge mapping. The number of manuscripts about genetics and MDD totaled 9200, with a faster increase after 2013. The country, institution, and author with the most publications are the USA, the University of London, and Serretti, Alessandro. BIOL PSYCHIAT published the most articles in this field. In addition, the most co-cited reference is Sullivan PF (2000) (673). Genetic and MDD research, including the hippocampus, and HPA axis may become the focus of research in the future. Based on a 20-year scientometric investigation, we know the USA, China, and Germany have emerged as the important research forces in this discipline. The strongest collaborations between developed countries and renowned institutions are beneficial to the advancement of genetic and MDD research. Serotonin is the strongest citation bursts keyword.