Work Environment and Mental Health Outcomes Among Employees: A Systematic Literature Review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59971/jumawa.v3i3.465Keywords:
work environment, mental health, employee, systematic literature reviewAbstract
The work environment is a pivotal factor influencing employee mental health within an organization. Adverse physical and psychosocial conditions can trigger occupational stress, burnout, and anxiety, leading to a decline in overall psychological well-being. This study aims to systematically synthesize literature regarding the impact of the work environment on employees' mental health outcomes. Adopting a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) method, this research analyzed 37 articles retrieved from Google Scholar, Crossref, and reputable international databases published between 2021 and 2025. The selection process followed the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria, including topical relevance, accessibility, and language suitability. The findings reveal several key insights: (1) a healthy and supportive work environment significantly reduces stress and burnout levels; (2) positive psychosocial factors, such as social support and organizational justice, enhance psychological well-being and work engagement; (3) suboptimal physical conditions and ergonomic stressors contribute to mental health disorders; (4) post-pandemic shifts have intensified emotional exhaustion, particularly in the healthcare sector; (5) mental health serves as a critical mediator between the work environment and employee productivity; and (6) organizations implementing flexible and inclusive policies tend to achieve higher employee loyalty. Consequently, fostering a holistically healthy work environment is a strategic imperative for sustaining productivity in the modern professional era.
Downloads
References
Bergefurt, L., Appel-Meulenbroek, R., Maris, C., Arentze, T., Weijs-Perrée, M., & de Kort, Y. (2023). The influence of distractions of the home-work environment on mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ergonomics, 66(1), 16–33. https://doi.org/10.1080/00140139.2022.2053590
Blomqvist, S., Virtanen, M., Westerlund, H., & Magnusson Hanson, L. L. (2023). Associations between COVID-19-related changes in the psychosocial work environment and mental health. Scandinavian Journal of Public Health, 51(5), 664–672. https://doi.org/10.1177/14034948231160633
Cedstrand, E., Nyberg, A., Sanchez-Bengtsson, S., Alderling, M., Augustsson, H., Bodin, T., Alvesson, H. M., & Johansson, G. (2021). A participatory intervention to improve the psychosocial work environment and mental health in human service organisations. A mixed methods evaluation study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(7). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18073546
Dinter, R. Van, Tekinerdogan, B., & Catal, C. (2021). Automation of systematic literature reviews : A systematic literature review. Information and Software Technology, 136(March), 106589. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infsof.2021.106589
Halivni, L. R., Greenberg, S. B., & Christiani, D. C. (2022). Ageing workers’ mental health during COVID-19: A multilevel observational study on the association with the work environment, perceived workplace safety and individual factors. BMJ Open, 12(12). https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2022-064590
Ito, A., Sasaki, M., Yonekura, Y., & Ogata, Y. (2023). Impact of organizational justice and manager’s mental health on staff nurses’ affective commitment: A multilevel analysis of the work environment of hospital nurses in Japan-Part II (WENS-J-II). International Journal of Nursing Studies Advances, 5. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnsa.2023.100137
Jati, H. S. A. R., Harahap, A. A., & Mamoto, B. J. (2024). Quality of Work Life: A Literature Review. International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, 6(7), 154-158.
Lancman, S., de Campos Bicudo, S. P. B., da Silva Rodrigues, D., de Fatima Zanoni Nogueira, L., de Oliveira Barros, J., & de Lima Barroso, B. I. (2024). Mental Health and Work: A Systematic Review of the Concept. In Healthcare (Switzerland) (Vol. 12, Issue 23). Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI). https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12232377
Lu, M., Li, X., Song, K., Xiao, Y., Zeng, W., Shi, C., Fan, X., & Li, G. (2024). Mental health disparities between physicians and nurses: Analyzing the impact of occupational stress and work environment fitness using random forest algorithm. Journal of Affective Disorders, 350, 350–358. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2024.01.113
Malik, U., Qayyum, S., & Fatima, I. (2021). Physical Work Environment, Sick Building Syndrome and Mental Health of Factory Workers. Journal of Contemporary Issues in Business and Government, 27(1), 2021. https://cibg.org.au/558https://cibg.org.au/559
Mejia, R. H., & Stafström, M. (2023). Psychosocial work environment and mental health among the global workforce of seafarers in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. BMC Public Health, 23(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-17035-2
Nguyen, T. N. (2025). Work Environment and Engagement Effects on Employee Performance: The Mediating Role of Mental Health. International Journal of Advanced Multidisciplinary Research and Studies, 5(6), 225–233. https://doi.org/10.62225/2583049x.2025.5.6.5199
Page, M. J., McKenzie, J. E., Bossuyt, P. M., Boutron, I., Hoffmann, T. C., Mulrow, C. D., ... Moher, D. (2021). The PRISMA 2020 statement: An updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews. BMJ, 372, n71. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n71
Palinggi, S. Y., & Agustina, T. S. (2025). Analysis of That Influence Employee Performance: Work Environment, Leadership, and Mental Health. Golden Ratio of Human Resource Management, 5(1), 177–186. https://doi.org/10.52970/grhrm.v5i1.803
Satya, V. V., & Satya, V. V. (2024). Analysis The Influence of the Work Environment on the Mental and Physical Health of the Employees. Oshada Journal, 1(6), 68-75. https://doi.org/10.62872/rxykxz41
Snyder, H. (2019). Literature review as a research methodology: An overview and guidelines. Journal of Business Research, 104, 333–339. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.07.039
Sönmez, B., Keskin, Y. A., İspir Demir, Ö., Emiralioğlu, R., & Güngör, S. (2022). Decent work in nursing: Relationship between nursing work environment, job satisfaction, and physical and mental health. International Nursing Review, 70(1), 78–88. https://doi.org/10.1111/inr.12771
Veen, M. V., Schelvis, R. M. C., Bongers, P. M., Hengel, K. M. O., & Boot, C. R. L. (2024). A qualitative study of young workers’ experience of the psychosocial work environment and how this affects their mental health. BMC Public Health, 24(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-20760-x
Wei, W. Q., & Li, L. Y. (2022). The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on the Mental Health of Manufacturing Workers: The Mediating Role of Overtime Work and the Work Environment. Frontiers in Public Health, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2022.862407
Wells, S. K. (2024). The Impact of Nurses’ Work Environment on Mental Health and Suicide. In Critical Care Nurse (Vol. 44, Issue 3, pp. 6–8). American Association of Critical-Care Nurses. https://doi.org/10.4037/ccn2024726
