Bibliometric Review of Mental Health Research in Medical Colleges of Pakistan

OBJECTIVES: Mental health is a less frequently explored area of medical research as both developing and developed countries lack competent human resources and funding for this purpose. Reviewing mental health research can help medical professionals appreciate the progress of understanding and identify problems in this area. This systematic review examined the status of mental health research carried out in medical education institutions and tertiary healthcare hospitals across Pakistan over the past 70 years. METHODS: PubMed(®) (National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, Maryland, USA), was searched for articles published between 1947 and 2017 related to mental health with an emphasis on the exclusive affiliation of the first author with a medical college in Pakistan. RESULTS: A total of 118 articles were included in this study. The number of published research-based studies has increased steadily over the past years. However, there are indicators of a lack of quality research, such as no declaration of conflict of interest or the identification of a funding source and a general lack of publications in a journal with a high impact factor. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study have shown a steady improvement in the quantity and quality of mental health research conducted in Pakistani medical colleges/universities. However, a lack of funding, training and faculty induction policies may be hindering the establishment of a research culture and contributing to the slow progression of mental health research in Pakistan.