Forty Years of Research Trends in Long-Acting Injectable Antipsychotics: a Bibliometric Analysis

Abstract

Background Using long-acting injectable (LAI) antipsychotics is crucial for treating psychiatric illnesses, particularly those within the schizophrenia spectrum. Through bibliometric analysis, our study aimed to provide an understanding of the changes in research trends related to LAIs over the past 40 years.Methods We collected the publications from 1983 to 2023 related to research studies on LAIs included in the Web of Science database. Two thousand four hundred and twelve publications were selected based on specific criteria and analyzed using the VOSviewer software and the Biblioshiny app. We obtained and presented data on institutional analysis, country analysis, author and co-authorship analysis, journal analysis, funding agencies, and keyword citation numbers.Results From the period 1983-1992 to 2014-2023, the number of total publications showed a significant growth of 4.91. The majority (approximately 90%) of publications were produced in high-income countries. The private sector may play a significant role in research. The most crucial keywords were schizophrenia and risperidone.Conclusions The trend in LAI research is currently dynamic and ongoing. There seems to be an increasing connection between studies and LAIs that contain second-generation antipsychotics. The number of studies relating to the private sector is noteworthy.