Work–Family Conflict and Employee Mental Health: A Systematic Literature Review on the Moderating Role of Perceived Organizational Support

Abstract :

Work–family conflict (WFC) remains one of the most persistent predictors of psychological strain in modern organizations, with empirical evidence indicating that employees experiencing high WFC exhibit elevated levels of anxiety, burnout, depressive symptoms, and overall mental health deterioration. This systematic literature review investigates two decades of peer-reviewed studies to clarify the magnitude and mechanisms through which WFC affects mental health outcomes, and to evaluate whether perceived organizational support (POS) functions as an effective moderating resource. Using PRISMA 2020 guidelines, publications from 2000–2025 were synthesized across databases including Scopus, Web of Science, EBSCO, and ScienceDirect. Findings reveal that WFC consistently predicts deteriorated mental health with medium-to-large effect sizes (β ranging from 0.30 to 0.55 across samples). POS demonstrates a protective function in most studies, reducing the negative psychological impact of WFC by approximately 18–35%, depending on organizational context and support climate. Studies employing conservation of resources theory and job demands–resources models provide strong evidence that POS buffers emotional exhaustion and psychological distress by expanding employees’ access to social and structural resources. Despite consistent findings, gaps remain: limited cross-cultural comparisons, inconsistent operational definitions of POS, and methodological overreliance on cross-sectional designs. This review highlights the need for longitudinal and multilevel designs to better capture the moderating pathways of POS.