Thematic Evolution of Research on Social Relations, Mental Health, and Quality of Life in the Digital Era

Given the importance of social relationships, mental health, and quality of life today, there has been a shift in how people feel, how they perceive well-being, and what their goals regarding their way of life have become, especially since recent studies emphasize the importance of social relationships and the psychological dimension of quality of life. Although current topics of interest cover many areas, the literature analyzing the interdependent relationships between social relationships, mental health, and quality of life in the digital age remains fragmented, leaving room for improvement in the literature. This paper aims to bridge the gap in comprehensive literature analysis by applying a bibliometric analysis that examines the evolution of the scientific literature on social relationships, mental health, and quality of life from 1975 to 2025. Using the largest scientific database, namely articles from Web of Science, the study applies topic-based and thematic mapping techniques to analyze how the literature has changed over time and which topics open up new research directions for future findings. The results show a transition from relational, psychosocial, and institutional perspectives centered on social networks. The paper contributes to a comprehensive overview, highlighting the most relevant gaps that could become the subject of future empirical studies.