Global Trends in Green Space and Senior Mental Health Studies: Bibliometric Review

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023 Jan 11;20(2):1316. doi: 10.3390/ijerph20021316.

Abstract

The Sustainable Development Goals and the World Health Organization have prioritized senior mental health as an important goal. Senior mental health is a critical issue within the global public health sphere. Notably, green spaces are a useful alternative for improving senior mental health. Many studies have focused on green space and senior mental health, especially on their connection and relationship. However, this research topic lacks a comprehensive and systematic review. Owing to the lack of critical reviews, this study clarified the trend, progress, status, and focus of studies on green spaces and senior mental health using bibliometric analysis of literature within the Web of Science database. The literature analysis within this study specifically focused on the following, including the country/region contribution analysis, institution contribution analysis, keyword analysis, and highly productive journal analysis. Furthermore, this study systematically recorded the content of green space and senior mental health, identified the gap that exists, and provided future frontier directions or issues for research. These contribute toward comprehending the progress and content of this research topic and further provide a guide, reference, and inspiration for possible future research.

Keywords: environment; landscape; mental illness; psychological distress; urban health; well-being.

Publication types

  • Review
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Bibliometrics
  • Forecasting
  • Mental Health*
  • Parks, Recreational*
  • Public Health

Grants and funding

This research was funded by the Chinese Academy of Sciences [grant numbers 132C35KYSB20200007, 2019TW2ZA0001] and the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China [grant number RW2019TW006].