Bibliometric Analysis of Mental Health in Athletes

Abstract

Mental health in athletes is crucial as it significantly impacts sports performance, overall well-being, and the daily lives of athletes. The importance of mental health in the athlete context indicates that attention to this aspect not only affects sports performance but also the overall well-being and lives of athletes. This research aims to understand publication trends related to mental health in athletes through bibliometric analysis. In this analysis, VOSviewer software and the bibliometric analysis application biblioshiny were used to graphically analyze bibliographic data. After filtering, 729 documents were analyzed from the Scopus database. The results show fluctuating trends in the number of publications, with the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health as the highest contributor with 125 documents. The USA ranks first in documents focusing on mental health in athletes, with 637 documents. Additionally, Ulster University is the most prolific affiliation, contributing the highest number of publications, each with 30 documents. The globally most cited document, published in the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, has been cited 177 times. Visualization of research trends reveals popular topics aligned with research and discussions, including mental health, male, human, female, athlete, adult, psychology. This research can significantly contribute to understanding and treating the mental health of athletes, as well as stimulate further research and interventions in the future.