A Systematic Review of Psychological Workplace Stress and Work-Life Balance on Employee Well-Being

Background: This systematic review synthesizes empirical evidence on the relationship between psychological workplace stress, work-life balance, and employee well-being across diverse organizational and occupational settings. Methodology: The review adopted the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines to identify, screen, and synthesize peer-reviewed studies published between 2021 and 2026. Literature was retrieved from Scopus, Web of Science, and EBSCOhost databases. Following systematic screening and eligibility assessment, 74 studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the narrative synthesis. Findings: The review found that psychological workplace stress consistently undermines employee well-being through increased burnout, work exhaustion, and emotional strain. Work-life balance enhances employee well-being by promoting psychological health and organizational productivity. Research Limitations and Future Directions: The review was limited to English-language peer-reviewed studies and was dominated by quantitative research designs. Future studies should adopt longitudinal, qualitative, mixed-methods, and cross-cultural approaches, particularly within underrepresented regions such as Africa. Originality/Value: This review contributes to Industrial and Organisational Psychology and Human Resource Management by providing an integrated synthesis of psychological workplace stress and work-life balance as complementary determinants of employee well-being, while identifying evidence-based organizational strategies and key directions for future research.