Trends in Predicting Corporate Distress: A Bibliometric and Thematic Analysis

Timely prediction of corporate financial distress in borrower companies can reduce economic vulnerability, nonperforming assets, and associated costs. This critical issue has consistently attracted scholarly attention from multiple perspectives. This article examines research trends in corporate financial distress prediction using a bibliometric analysis of 984 Scopus-indexed articles published between 2008 and 2023. By analyzing coauthorship networks and keyword co-occurrence using VOSviewer and conducting a thematic analysis of abstracts, it identifies major research themes and their evolution over time. Results show a predominant focus on model development, while relatively few studies seek to identify relevant financial and nonfinancial indicators. The article offers a comprehensive overview of academic contributions in the field and provides insights to guide future research directions globally.