Research trends in mental health problems of children and adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic: A bibliometric and visualization analysis

Abstract

Abstract COVID-19’s impact on children and adolescents’ mental health has heightened global focus, leading to analysis with bibliometric and visualization tools of related studies in the Web of Science™ database from 2020 to 2023. In total, there are 5,189 studies authored by 27,102 researchers from 147 countries and significantly involving 6,926 institutions. These studies are covered by 1,246 journals. Depression, anxiety, and stress are currently well-developed and important research areas and will continue to be a priority and hot topic for further exploration and discussion in the academic research field in the future. However, certain topics, such as child maltreatment, need to be reassessed in terms of their importance. Additionally, emerging areas like telemedicine and vaccine hesitancy have emerged. Fundamental aspects such as COVID-19, family, and parenting reflect the far-reaching impact of the pandemic. Given that public health emergencies may affect the mental health of children and adolescents, it is particularly important to establish specialized response mechanisms. In addition, strengthened interdisciplinary and intersectoral cooperation focusing on the mental health of children and adolescents from vulnerable groups is crucial to ensure their healthy development and promote long-term social stability and scientific and technological progress.