Perspectivas y avances en la investigación de la sociología médica y la salud mental en Latinoamérica: un estudio cienciométrico realizado en la base de datos SCOPUS
Thesis
This study is situated within the context of medical sociology and its concern for mental health. The sociology of mental health originates in Europe and North America, regions where academic production and collection of these publications have been concentrated. In Latin America, documentation of these research studies conducted in the region is scarce. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the scientific production of sociology related to mental health through visual network analysis. This methodology allows for an understanding of the topology of the field in terms of research topics and their relationships. It also enables an investigation into the influence of specific agendas and events on the development of academic specialties and research interests over time. For this study, the network constructed with the keywords from the collected corpus was taken as the primary material for analysis, using data visualization software such as VOSViewer, along with Voyant Tools and Excel as additional supporting materials. The findings reveal a relatively recent field that has proliferated in the past two decades, primarily in countries such as Brazil, Mexico, Chile, and Argentina. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic was identified as the most prevalent topic in recent studies, shifting the focus towards various aspects of social life. This trend is reflected in a surge of publications that has persisted until 2022. Based on the analysis conducted, several hypotheses are developed, and certain reflections are gathered regarding the research exercise, as well as the possibilities and limitations in the field of sociology studying issues related to mental health in Latin America.
