Current Status, Hotspots, and Trends in Physical Education for Psychological Health Development - A Bibliometric Perspective

Abstract

With the rapid development of the global economy and society, mental health issues have become increasingly prominent, and the critical role of physical education in promoting mental resilience is gaining recognition. This study aims to analyze the current state of research, key focuses, and future trends concerning the effects of physical education on mental health resilience from an international perspective. Relevant publications were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection, and a bibliometric analysis was conducted using VOSviewer and CiteSpace. The methodology involved clustering co-occurrences of authors, institutions, and keywords; generating keyword time-zone views; and performing burst analysis to identify development trends in the field. The results indicate that the volume of publications in this domain has been increasing, especially after 2019, with significant contributions from European countries and the United States. However, there is a relatively low overall connection strength among institutions, highlighting the need for enhanced international cooperation. Research in this field clusters into three main categories: physiological health and activity; autonomy and intrinsic motivation; and learning performance and educational environment. Future research trends may focus on interdisciplinary integration, personalized physical education programs through data science and artificial intelligence, the role of cultural and social contexts, and the use of innovative technologies like wearable devices and virtual reality. This study provides a comprehensive overview of the domain, elucidating how physical education can improve mental health among college students, and offers insights for practitioners to leverage physical education benefits while addressing associated challenges and impacts.