Global research status and trends of compulsive sexual behavior disorder: A comprehensive bibliometric analysis.

Abstract

Background: Compulsive sexual behavior disorder (CSBD) is a mental health condition that has attracted significant research attention, especially following its inclusion in the eleventh revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) by the World Health Organization. Despite this recognition, the field remains fragmented with ongoing debates about its classification and a lack of comprehensive cross-cultural research. In this study, bibliometrics was used to characterize the development status of CSBD over the past 25 years and to identify key research hotspots and future trends.

Methods: This study collected data from the Web of Science Core Collection and analyzed the literature related to CSBD from 2000 to 2024. A total 2,261 publications were examined for their characteristics, including annual publication volume, countries/regions, institutions, authors, journals, references, and keywords. Several bibliometric and visualization tools (e.g., VOSviewer, CiteSpace, Scimago Graphica, and Pajek) were used to conduct the analysis of co-authorship, co-citation, co-occurrence and descriptive.

Results: The analysis identified a consistent upward trend in research interest in CSBD, particularly after its inclusion in ICD-11. Co-occurrence analysis of 82 author keywords with frequencies of more than 12 resulted in 5 clusters: (1) competing conceptualizations of CSBD; (2) comorbidity of CSBD with other psychiatric disorders; (3) assessment, risk factors, and treatment; (4) gender differences and sexual health; (5) CSB caused by neurological diseases. Moreover, the findings of countries/regions analysis indicate that publications are mainly from Western, educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic (WEIRD) countries/regions, and collaborative networks mainly connect countries from the North America and Europe. Despite its growing recognition, the field still lacks interdisciplinary collaboration and comprehensive studies from non-WEIRD contexts, highlighting a need for broader, cross-cultural research.

Conclusions: This study comprehensively maps global research trends in CSBD, identifies critical knowledge gaps, and provides a foundation for future research. By synthesizing the current research status, it aims to guide researchers toward emerging topics and foster a more cohesive understanding of CSBD.