Mapping the landscape of scientific research on suicide in South Africa: A Bibliometric Analysis

• Comprehensive bibliometric analysis of suicide research conducted using data from the Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed databases spanning 1950-2025. • There is a gradual increase in suicide research outputs in South Africa over the past decade, with notable growth in the 2000s • Highly ranked and research-intensive institutions are leading in research outputs in SA • South Africa is collaborating with high-income countries on suicide research. Suicide is a major public health concern in South Africa, yet little is known about the patterns, trends, and collaborative networks shaping research output in this field. This study provides an overview of the current state of published scientific research on suicide in South Africa. A bibliometric analysis was conducted using data retrieved from Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed databases through a comprehensive search strategy. Biblioshiny, an R-based bibliometric tool, was employed to analyse annual scientific production, contributing authors, institutions, and journal productivity. VOSviewer was used to perform co-occurrence and co-authorship analyses. The search strategy found 336 scientific documents authored by 730 researchers across 143 journals from 1950 to 2025. The study findings revealed a steady growth of suicide research, with notable increase in outputs over the past two decades. Research productivity was concentrated among a small group of authors, with Bantjes J, Stein D, and Meel B emerging as key contributors. Research in this field is primarily dominated by highly ranked institutions, with the University of Cape Town being the most productive, followed by Stellenbosch University. Local journals, including the South African Journal of Psychiatry and the South African Medical Journal, were the most frequent publication outlets, reflecting the importance of national platforms in disseminating suicide-related findings. International collaboration was evident, with strong partnerships established between South African institutions and high-income countries. Suicide research in SA is growing, but remains dominated by a limited number of authors and institutions. Strengthening research capacity, diversifying institutional contributions, and increasing funding are critical for expanding the scope and impact of suicide research.