Effect of COVID 19 on mental health: A bibliometric analysis using scopus database

Purpose: Coronavirus disease has impacted socio-economic network across the globe. Loss of employment and job, and physical distancing has caused grave physical and psychological distress too among people in general and mental health issues such as uncertainty, stress, anxiety, frustration, and depression. The present study has been undertaken to extensively examine current research about the impact of COVID-19 on to mental health of general population. Design/methodology/approach: This study has employed a bibliometric analysis of the research work collected through the Scopus database. The sample included 1,676 documents. The analysis includes descriptive variables such as the number of publications per year, country, author affiliation, keywords and active institutions, graphical network analysis and thematic analysis.Findings: This study has revealed that initially the focus of research was on understanding of COVID 19 and its causes, examination of virus and its medical treatment which later shifted to effect of the pandemic on mental health on people with different demographics. Concepts that have got more attention in this research area are mental health, psychology, human, pandemic and female. Trending topic analysis based on authors’ keywords confirms these findings. The effects are directly linked to the socio-demographic variables of the people.Research limitations/implications: The study is based on the Scopus database, which has limited coverage. It provides base for undertaking structured literature review based on shortlisted papers on different dimensions of effect of COVID on mental health such as analysing coping strategies adopted by people and effect of initiatives taken by government to ease economic burden on people and restore their mental peace.