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. 2021 Mar 5;18(5):2589.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph18052589.

Mental Health in Family Businesses and Business Families: A Systematic Review

Diane Arijs  1 , Anneleen Michiels  2
Affiliations

Mental Health in Family Businesses and Business Families: A Systematic Review

Diane Arijs et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

Mental health issues in family businesses and business families have been studied in multiple disciplines within the past three decades. This article systematically reviews 51 articles on mental health issues in family businesses and business families, published in a wide variety of psychology, entrepreneurship, and management journals. Based on a systematic review of extant literature, this article first provides an overview of the state of the art, followed by specific suggestions on novel research questions, theoretical frameworks and study design. This way, the review systematizes evidence on known antecedents and consequences of mental health issues in family businesses and business families, but also reveals overlooked and undertheorized drivers and outcomes. The review reveals major gaps in our knowledge that hinder a valid understanding of mental health in the specific context of family businesses and business families, and articulates specific research questions that could be tackled by future research among management as well as mental health scholars. Finally, we point to the relevance of this study for policy makers, family business advisors, therapists and managers.

Keywords: family business; mental disorders; mental health; well-being.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) flow diagram of the search and screening.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Mental health issues researched in family businesses and business families. (Note. Family Business System = Family, Business, Individual.).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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