Akbari Hossein, Mohammadi Mahla, Hosseini Abolfazl
Departments of Social Science, Faculty of Letters and Humanities, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.
Iran J Public Health. 2025 Feb;54(2):346-360.
Stigma is a critical social determinant of health, influencing individuals' access to resources, quality of life, and overall well-being. Despite its significant implications, bibliometric studies on stigma in the medical field remain sparse. We provide a comprehensive scientometric analysis of stigma research in medicine over the past 30 years, highlighting trends, key focus areas, and evolving challenges.
A bibliometric analysis was conducted using VOSviewer software, utilizing data from the Scopus database. The search included articles with the keyword "stigma*" in the title, published between 1992 and 2022, within the fields of Medicine, Nursing, and Professional Health. The initial search yielded 20,284 articles, narrowed down to 7,854 relevant publications for detailed analysis. Key metrics analyzed included co-authorship, co-occurrence of keywords, and co-citation patterns.
The analysis revealed a significant increase in stigma-related publications in the medical field, particularly since 2010, with a peak in 2022, largely driven by the COVID-19 pandemic. The research identified nine major keyword clusters, 40 associated diseases, and 36 target groups. Persistent diseases like HIV, mental illness, addiction, and cancer continue to be strongly associated with stigma.
The findings underscore the evolving nature of stigma research in medicine, with an increasing focus on intersecting stigmas and their persistent impact on public health. Future research should aim to develop comprehensive models and strategies to manage and reduce stigma, particularly for diseases with enduring stigmatic associations. Collaborative efforts among policymakers, healthcare providers, and society are crucial to address the social and economic consequences of stigma and improve health outcomes.
耻辱感是健康的一个关键社会决定因素，影响着个人获取资源、生活质量和整体幸福感。尽管其具有重大影响，但医学领域关于耻辱感的文献计量研究仍然稀少。我们对过去30年医学领域的耻辱感研究进行了全面的科学计量分析，突出了趋势、关键重点领域和不断演变的挑战。
使用VOSviewer软件进行文献计量分析，利用Scopus数据库的数据。搜索包括1992年至2022年期间在医学、护理和职业健康领域发表的标题中带有关键词“耻辱*”的文章。初步搜索产生了20284篇文章，缩小到7854篇相关出版物进行详细分析。分析的关键指标包括共同作者、关键词共现和共被引模式。
分析显示，医学领域与耻辱感相关的出版物显著增加，特别是自2010年以来，在2022年达到峰值，这在很大程度上是由新冠疫情推动的。该研究确定了九个主要关键词簇、40种相关疾病和36个目标群体。像艾滋病毒、精神疾病、成瘾和癌症等慢性病仍然与耻辱感密切相关。
研究结果强调了医学领域耻辱感研究的不断演变的性质，越来越关注交叉耻辱感及其对公共卫生的持续影响。未来的研究应旨在开发全面的模型和策略来管理和减少耻辱感，特别是对于具有持久耻辱关联的疾病。政策制定者、医疗保健提供者和社会之间的合作努力对于解决耻辱感的社会和经济后果以及改善健康结果至关重要。
