What are the main trends in research about premenstrual disorders and related conditions?

Background: Premenstrual disorders represent a constellation of incapacitating gynecological disorders with numerous coexisting conditions. The identification and comprehension of disease-related comorbidities are of paramount importance in the medical field. This study aims to systematically review existing research and identify potential focus areas through bibliometric analysis. Methods: One hundred forty-nine publications on comorbidity in psychotic mood disorders between 1999 and 2023 were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection. The data was analyzed using bibliometric tools such as CiteSpace 6.1.R2 and VOSviewer. Specifically, the study examined the annual publication count, contributions by country and institution and details on journals, authors, citation counts, and keywords. Results: The data were retrieved on August 3, 2023. The annual number of publications showed an upward trend from 1999 to 2023. Globally, the US and Canada presented the highest publication counts and served as core research regions. Meanwhile, McMaster University and Harward University exhibited the highest output and influence by institution. In terms of author, Frey BN (McMaster University, Canada) was the most prolific with leading academic influence, while Lieb R (University of Basel, Switzerland) and Wittchen HU (Technical University Dresden, Germany) were the most cited authors. The American Journal of Psychiatry (impact factor = 17.7, 2023) was the most frequently cited journal. Furthermore, significant overlapping between premenstrual syndrome and premenstrual dysphoric disorder warrants further investigation, and the intrinsic connection between premenstrual dysphoric disorder and bipolar disorder is a rising focus. Temporally, research shifted from prevalence surveys to diagnostic and mechanistic studies. Conclusions: This bibliometric study comprehensively analyzes the current state of research on physical and mental health comorbidities. North America became a prominent leader in contributions from countries, institutions, authors, and journals. Additionally, the study underscores the potential for further exploration of comorbidity between physiological and psychiatric conditions, suggesting a promising avenue for future research efforts.

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