Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder After Road Traffic Crashes: A Bibliometric and Science-Mapping Analysis

Öz

Objective: The aim of this study is to treat road traffic crashes (RTCs) as a distinct area of trauma and thereby to present a field-specific bibliometric analysis of research on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) associated with road traffic accidents. Method: A bibliometric analysis was conducted on 790 peer-reviewed articles indexed in the Web of Science Core Collection between 1991 and 2025 (n = 790; 41,585 citations; h-index = 104). Results: The development of the field can be characterized by an initial foundational period (1991–1999), followed by expansion between 2000 and 2014, and subsequent stabilization during 2015–2022. A recent decline in publication output (2023–2025) was observed, although this should be interpreted cautiously due to publication and indexing delays. Scientific influence is dominated by a small group of key authors, while collaboration is primarily concentrated among researchers from English-speaking countries. Five major research themes were identified, including diagnosis, risk factors, treatment, rehabilitation, and global epidemiology. Conclusion: The RTC–PTSD literature is broad but fragmented. A clear mismatch exists between the geographical distribution of research production and the global burden of road trauma, while connections between trauma research and transport-safety remain limited.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• PTSD
• psychological trauma
• traffic accident
• road traffic crashes
• road safety.

Karayolu Trafik Kazalarının Ardından Travma Sonrası Stres Bozukluğu: Bibliyometrik ve Bilim Haritalama Analizi

Öz

Amaç: Bu çalışmanın amacı karayolu trafik kazalarını (KTK) daha geniş kategoriler altında ele almak yerine, ayrı bir travma alanı olarak değerlendirmekte ve böylece karayolu trafik kazalarına bağlı travma sonrası stres bozukluğu (TSSB) araştırmalarına ilişkin alana özgü bir bibliyometrik değerlendirme sunmaktadır. Yöntem: Bu çalışma kapsamında, Web of Science Core Collection veri tabanında 1991–2025 yılları arasında indekslenen 790 hakemli makale üzerinde bibliyometrik analiz gerçekleştirilmiştir (n=790; 41.585 atıf; h-indeks = 104). Bulgular: Alanın gelişimi, başlangıç ve temellenme (1991–1999), genişleme (2000–2014) ve istikrar kazanma (2015–2022) olmak üzere üç evrede gerçekleşmiştir. 2023–2025 döneminde yayın üretimde bir azalma gözlenmiş olmakla birlikte, bu eğilim yayın ve indeksleme gecikmeleri nedeniyle dikkatle yorumlanmalıdır. Bilimsel etki az sayıda kilit yazar tarafından şekillendirilirken, iş birliği büyük ölçüde İngilizce konuşulan ülkelerdeki araştırma ağlarında yoğunlaşmaktadır. Analiz sonucunda tanı, risk faktörleri, tedavi, rehabilitasyon ve küresel epidemiyoloji olmak üzere beş temel araştırma teması belirlenmiştir. Sonuç: KTK sonrası TSSB literatürü kapsamlı olmakla birlikte parçalı bir yapı göstermektedir. Araştırma üretiminin coğrafi dağılımı ile trafik travmasının küresel yükü arasında belirgin bir uyumsuzluk bulunmakta, travma araştırmaları ile ulaşım güvenliği araştırmaları arasındaki bağlantılar ise sınırlı kalmaktadır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• TSSB
• psikolojik travma
• trafik kazası
• karayolu trafik kazaları
• yol güvenliği.

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