MAPPING RESEARCH TRENDS IN GENERATION ALPHA MENTAL HEALTH: A BIBLIOMETRIC REVIEW OF PSYCHOSOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL FACTORS

This study aims to map research trends, thematic structures, and knowledge concentration in the field of Generation Alpha mental health, with a specific focus on psychosocial and emotional factors. A quantitative bibliometric approach was employed using publications indexed in the Scopus database covering the period from 2011 to 2024, with the identification and selection of documents guided by the PRISMA framework. The analysis included publication performance indicators, annual publication trends, and network visualization using VOSviewer to examine keyword co-occurrence and thematic structures within the literature. The analysis of 630 publications reveals a steady growth in research output over time, indicating an increasing scholarly interest in Generation Alpha mental health, particularly in relation to early developmental stages within digitally mediated environments. The thematic mapping shows that the literature is structured around interconnected orientations, including psychological well-being, emotional distress such as anxiety and depression, social relationships, and community-based perspectives related to access to support. At the level of knowledge structure, research production remains concentrated in specific countries, institutions, and specialized journals, which may influence dominant research agendas and limit the representation of diverse socio-cultural contexts. Overall, this study highlights the central role of psychosocial and emotional factors in Generation Alpha mental health research and provides a macrolevel overview that can serve as a reference for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers in developing more integrative, context-sensitive, and development-oriented approaches to mental health.