Most frequent themes in Editorials of Vertex journal (1990-2019) analyzed by graph theory

Abstract

Background and Objective: The analysis of Editorials is a little explored topic, which can facilitate the understanding of historical processes and changes in Psychiatry. In the case of de Vertex Revista Argentina de Psiquiatría, the Editorials were written by the same person for 30 years. The most frequently used thematic areas were studied, using graph theory, to characterize the orientation of the editorial lines. This analysis was complemented with semistructured interviews with the Editor. Method: The most significant words of the Editorials were determined and analyzed through a system of graph theory, divided by lustrums. Results: The thematic areas of the journal were concentrated in five main themes that were reiterated in each lustrum: Ethics, History, Mental Health, Psychiatry and, in the last two, Politics. The editorials showed different degrees of complexity, being those of the first 15 years simpler than the last ones. The recurrence tendencies of the thematic areas of the Editorials were related to expressions arising from the interviews. Conclusion: The analysis with graph theory has made it possible to visualize aspects of the de Vertex  Revista Argentina de Psiquiatría Editorials, their degree of thematic complexity and how some themes were reiterated over and over again throughout the 30 years of the journal.