Scientific Production in Global Mental Health: A Meta-Research Study of Income-Stratified Trends, Gaps, and Health Metrics Impact

Aligning mental health research with territorial health needs remains a critical goal, yet the global distribution, coherence, and impact of scientific output across income groups remain poorly understood. We conducted a meta-research study combining scientometric analyses with longitudinal data on 60 health and development indicators. Over 386,000 peer-reviewed publications were retrieved from five major databases. Linear regressions, meta-analyses, and meta-regressions were performed, stratified by World Bank income classification. We find that high-income countries (HICs) accounted for 67% of publications, exhibiting the highest research density but the lowest potential marginal health returns. In contrast, low-income countries (LICs) showed the strongest associations between research volume and improvements in life expectancy (β = 0.13; p < 0.01) and child mortality (β = −1.38; p < 0.01). Structural moderators such as governance quality, health expenditure, and education explained up to 48% of between-group variance. In conclusion, the global landscape of mental health research remains unequal. While scientific production is concentrated in HICs, its population-level association is greatest in LICs. These findings underscore the need to redirect investments and enhance research coherence with health needs, particularly through governance safeguards and capacity building in underrepresented regions.