Psychological Safety and Employee Mental Health: A Systematic Literature Review of Risks, Protection, and Outcomes (2015–2025)

Mental health problems significantly affect organizational productivity and employee well-being, yet organizations frequently prioritize physical safety protocols while overlooking psychological safety. This study systematically analyzed the impact of psychological safety on employee mental health and identified the specific risk and protective factors involved. Despite growing awareness, a comprehensive synthesis of the evolving risk and protective factors of psychological safety, and of specific mental health outcomes across diverse organizational settings, is lacking. A systematic literature review following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines was conducted. Sixteen peer-reviewed articles published between 2015 and 2025 were selected from Scopus, PubMed, and APA PsycNet, and appraised using Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tools. The review identified 18 factors influencing psychological safety, including risk factors (e.g., enforced remote work, work pressure) and protective factors (e.g., humble leadership). A further 21 impacts were identified: high psychological safety was associated with work engagement and well-being, whereas low psychological safety was associated with psychological distress, depression, anxiety, and burnout. Organizations therefore need to cultivate a robust psychosocial safety climate, and inclusive leadership together with transparent communication is essential to safeguard employee well-being and organizational sustainability. This review contributes a multidisciplinary framework bridging organizational psychology and clinical mental health, offering consolidated evidence on how psychosocial climates determine behavioral health outcomes and supporting organizational efforts to prioritize sustainable human capital development.