Publication trend, impact and performance in mental health during and post COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract This study presents a bibliometric analysis of publications on mental health during and post-COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia. The dataset comprises 167 documents retrieved from the Scopus database covering the period from 2020 to 2022. Using the open-source tool Bibliometrix for science mapping analysis, we examined various aspects of these publications, including document type, number of articles, total citations, most relevant sources, source impact, most relevant authors, affiliations, globally cited documents, and a word cloud. Our findings reveal a significant and continuous growth in mental health-related publications since the onset of the pandemic in 2020, highlighting an intensified focus on this critical area. This surge in research emphasizes the heightened importance of understanding and addressing mental health issues exacerbated by the pandemic. By providing a comprehensive summary of the bibliometric data, this study enhances our understanding of publication trends and the evolving landscape of mental health research, offering valuable insights for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners aiming to respond to mental health challenges in the post-pandemic era.