Bibliometric Analysis of Post-Covid-19 Rehabilitation Research

The long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have adversely impacted individuals’ physical and psychosocial health, creating new research areas in rehabilitation. A comprehensive review of post-COVID-19 rehabilitation literature is essential to understand the current state of the field and identify future research priorities. This study aims to conduct a bibliometric analysis of the literature on post-COVID-19 rehabilitation to evaluate the development of research areas and trends. Articles and related publications indexed in the Web of Science database until December 10, 2024, were reviewed. Using relevant keywords, 81 publications were identified and analyzed bibliometrically. Descriptive statistics were performed using IBM SPSS 22.0, and collaboration networks of authors, keyword co-occurrence relationships, and citation connections were visualized using VOSviewer software. The analysis revealed a significant increase in publications on post-COVID-19 rehabilitation, particularly in 2023. Pulmonary rehabilitation, musculoskeletal recovery, fatigue management, and cognitive dysfunction emerged as key research areas. Keywords such as “Covid-19,” “Rehabilitation,” and “Pulmonary Rehabilitation” were the most frequently used. Collaboration network analysis highlighted the United Kingdom, the United States, and Italy as central contributors. The findings suggest that post-COVID-19 rehabilitation has become a multidisciplinary research focus, addressing neurological and psychological effects alongside fatigue and cognitive rehabilitation. Future studies should focus on cellular mechanisms and long-term clinical outcomes to enhance the effectiveness of rehabilitation programs.