Suicide among prisoners: a bibliometric analysis

Purpose: Suicide in prisons accounts for about half of all prison deaths globally. A bibliometric analysis would indicate research output and potential contributors in the sector, which has not been conducted previously. The purpose of this paper was to conduct a bibliometric analysis to understand the patterns, trends and gaps in research on this issue.

Design/methodology/approach: The PubMed database was searched by using the terms: (suicide) AND ((Prison) OR (prisoner) OR (incarceration)). A bibliometric analysis was done with the help of Harvard Catalyst, PubMed PubReMiner and biblioshiny.

Findings: A total of 1,683 publications were identified in the PubMed database from 1949 to 2024, with an annual growth rate of 4.4% and a Hirsch index of 46. Journal articles were the top publications with the highest number in the journal Crisis. The USA published the highest number of articles, and countries with low income showed much less production.

Originality/value: Prison suicide is not well-researched worldwide. The majority of the studies are published in high-income countries. An interdisciplinary outlook and more intervention-based and longitudinal studies are required in this field. Importantly, more research in low- and middle-income countries is required to understand mental health issues and prevent suicide in prisons.