Application of tele-neuropsychology and tele-mental health before and during COVID-19 era: a bibliometric analysis

Abstract

Background: Telehealth use was previously limited by strict regulations and financial constraints. However, the pandemic prompted some countries to ease their telehealth laws. Thus, we conducted a bibliometric analysis and network visualization to gauge changes in tele-neuropsychology (Tele-NP) and tele-mental Health (Tele-MH) trends with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and methods: The authors conducted a literature search on SCOPUS and included relevant articles pertaining to Tele-NP and Tele-MH, which were published before the COVID-19 pandemic (2017–2019) and during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020–2022). The authors presented publication patterns on psychiatric disorders, mode of administration, journals, active countries, authors, affiliations, funding sponsors, keywords, publication, and citation output. Results: Three hundred forty-one articles were included in our study with 80 articles before the pandemic and 261 during the pandemic. Our analysis revealed the greatest increase in publications and citations output was from the year 2020 to 2021. A greater number of journals published tele-NP and tele-MH-related research, with higher frequency, during the COVID-19 pandemic with Telemedicine and E-health leading the way. WHO regional analysis revealed that the Region of the Americas (AMRO) was the leading contributor in terms of publications. Harvard Medical Center remained the number one contributor both before and during the COVID-19- pandemic. Publications by funding sponsors, particularly by those that were US-based, increased twice as much during the pandemic. Conclusion: The increase in research output following the COVID-19 outbreak reflects the growing interest and relevance of telemedicine for the delivery of mental health services.