TRACING THE IMPACT: A BIBLIOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF HISTORICAL TRAUMA IN SOCIAL WORK RESEARCH

Abstract

In social work research, historical trauma is becoming a major focus of study addressing the intergenerational repercussions of oppression, systematic inequality, and community-wide suffering among underprivileged groups.  Using data from the Web of Science Core Collection, this paper does a bibliometric analysis to investigate the evolution and research patterns associated with historical trauma in social work.  Using VOSviewer, 424 records in all were examined with an eye toward co-occurrence trends of terms.  From an initial 1,612 keywords, 122 satisfied the minimum occurrence requirement of five, and clusters were found depending on a minimum cluster size of 15.  The results draw attention to important areas of research including trauma passed down throughout generations, indigenous cultures, mental health inequities, and treatment approaches.  The study also exposes developing themes, significant works, and citation patterns, therefore providing insightful analysis of the intellectual framework of social work-based historical trauma research.  By mapping scholarly debate, pointing up gaps, and offering recommendations for future trauma-informed social work practice research approaches, this study advances the field.