Research Reveals Trends in Refugee Mental Health Studies

Strategic Insights -

Researchers conducted a 30-year study on the effectiveness and trend of research on refugee mental health, using a bibliometric analysis methodology. The study analyzed the quantity of publications featuring articles on refugee mental health, the most prolific countries and institutions, the highly cited articles, citation patterns, international collaboration, and the relevant journals. The study's timeframe was defined from 1992 to 2022, and the number of documents obtained is 3,912.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study found a notable increase in the quantity of publications and citations on refugee mental health, particularly after 2016.
  • The United States emerged as the leading country in terms of both the highest number of publications and citations on this subject.
  • The institutions with the highest publication rates are the University of New South Wales in Australia, the University of Melbourne in Australia, and McGill University in Canada.
  • The study identified common keywords in refugee mental health research, including "depression," "Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)," and "children."
  • The research highlights the importance of research collaboration and networks in prioritizing refugee mental health research.
  • Refugee communities are found to have similar mental illnesses and experiences regardless of where and when they settled in the world.
  • The study emphasizes the need to address the mental health needs of refugees, particularly children.
  • The research suggests that there is a growing momentum in refugee mental health research, with an increase in publications and citations since 2016.

Statistics:

  • 3,912 documents were obtained from the Web of Science (WOS) database as part of the study.
  • The majority of the documents obtained were in the field of psychiatry (70%).
  • The quantity of publications and citations experienced a notable upsurge, particularly after 2016 (by 300%).
  • The United States accounted for 27% of the total publications in the study.
  • The University of New South Wales in Australia, the University of Melbourne in Australia, and McGill University in Canada were the top institutions in terms of publication rates.
  • The study identified 391 relevant journals that published articles on refugee mental health.
  • The research involved 12 authors from the University of Health Sciences in Istanbul, Turkiye.

Sources:

  • Northern Clinics of Istanbul. (2025;12(4):516-526). "Bibliometric analysis of global research findings on refugee mental health (1992-2022)".
  • NewsRx. (2025, October 20). Researchers at University of Health Sciences Release New Data on Mental Health Diseases and Conditions. Mental Health Weekly Digest, 921.