Viralizing public opinion: scoping review and analysis of the impact of influencers’ discourse on mental health from a public relations perspective
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26439/contratexto2026.n45.8429Keywords:
bibliometric analysis, mental health, influencers, public relations, social networksAbstract
Influencers have become opinion leaders, mainly on social media and especially among young people. Their authority is accentuated when dealing with mental health issues, where the dissemination of unverified content polarises public opinion and puts collective health at risk. This study analyses, from a Public Relations approach, how the scientific community deals with the social impact of influencers on mental health and examines research trends on this subject. Through a scoping review of the scientific literature and the analysis of more than a hundred works with VOSviewer, the predominant themes, influential authors and geographical areas with the greatest research production are identified. A content analysis is also carried out on a sample selected according to the objectives set. The results show an exponential growth of this line of research in the last five years, highlighting the potential of influencers to modulate decisions, behaviours and attitudes, mainly among the young population, both positively and negatively, something that entails social risks when addressing issues related to mental health, highlighting the urgency of understanding and addressing these emerging social dynamics from a critical perspective.
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