Research trends of posttraumatic growth from 1996 to 2020: A bibliometric analysis based on Web of Science and CiteSpace

Abstract Background To conduct the bibliometric and visualized analysis of published studies on posttraumatic growth (PTG) based on CiteSpace software and Web of Science, to clarify the research base and research topics in this field, to identify research hotspots and trends in this field. Methods A total of 2596 PTG-related references were obtained from the Web of Science Core Collection. The WoS-based literature analysis was used to realize the general information of PTG research. The CiteSpace 5.3.R3 was used to perform the key words co-words and burst detection analysis, reference co-citation analysis and cooperation network analysis. Results Present study suggested that more and more researchers started to pay attention to PTG, especially cancer survivors. Research topics in PTG-related field mainly focused on the influencing factors of PTG, coping and intervention measures, and the research objects. Analysis of keywords identified “oncology”, “stage breast cancer”, “perceived benefit” and “adjustment” as terms that may represent emerging trends of research in PTG-related field. Research collaboration is not yet extensive enough between authors, research institutions and countries. Limitations Publications with the non-English language were not included. Conclusions Bibliometric analysis and visualized analysis of posttraumatic growth could identify new directions for future research and provide innovative insights and references for investigators, which would greatly enhance understandings for PTG and carry out more in-depth researches.