Mental health challenges among government hospital doctors: A review of job demands, work-family conflict, and gender roles

Mental health challenges among government hospital doctors have become a pressing concern, driven by the demanding nature of their work, the struggle to balance professional and personal responsibilities, and the influence of gender roles. It examines the interplay between job demands, work-family conflict, and gender roles in shaping the mental health outcomes of government hospital doctors. Qualitative research was adopted, and the Scopus database was consulted for literature. A total of 76 papers published from 2013 to 2025 were considered for review. The SLR findings revealed a range of occupational stressors such as emotional exhaustion, burnout, poor social and peer support, depression, stress, and anxiety. Whereas the study also got limited support for the positive role of gender in the relationship between occupational stress and mental health issues among doctors. On the other hand, this study has identified mindfulness, social support, and socializing as coping mechanisms against mental health issues. The findings of the study are beneficial for government hospitals, doctors, and other healthcare professionals to ensure the well-being in the workplace. Further, these findings are important for policymakers to draft the policies as well, to ensure smooth working at hospitals and to have better healthcare facilities for patients.