Mapping the Landscape of Family-Focused Suicide Research: A Bibliometric and Thematic Analysis

Family dynamics play a crucial role in suicide risk and prevention, yet research in family science and suicidology remains largely fragmented. While previous reviews have advanced understanding using narrative or systematic methods, they may not capture the full breadth of interdisciplinary research. To address this limitation, our review employs bibliometric and thematic analysis. We examined 7,958 scholarly works from Web of Science (1989–2024) using VOSviewer and R-bibliometrix. Through performance analysis and science mapping, our study reveals field evolution, identifying key contributors, leading institutions, and influential journals. Bibliographic coupling uncovers four clusters representing current research trends, while thematic analysis identifies four future research directions. This mapping complements existing reviews by offering a perspective on field structure and evolution. Insights could guide research and inform intervention strategies integrating family science for suicide prevention.