ABSTRACT

Objective: This study aimed to identify research trends in the assessment of social isolation through bibliometric analysis. Methods: Literature was collected from the Web of Science (WoS) database. National/Regional journals, research institutions, authors, keywords, and cluster analyses were conducted using VOSviewer. Results: The number of publications has rapidly increased since 2011, with most published in 2020. Most research has been conducted in the fields of public and occupational health, with the United States and the United Kingdom showing high citation counts and connection strengths. South Korea appeared in the top 20. The key keywords identified were COVID-19, health, loneliness, depression, anxiety, and stress. Conclusion: This study identified the main keywords, research trends, and connectivity in the assessment of social isolation over time. Based on this, we hope that the importance of evaluation and intervention from a preventive perspective on social isolation will be recognized and that this study will be utilized as fundamental data for related research.