Understanding Karoshi: A Bibliometric Analysis and Systematic Review of Evidence From 1997 to 2024

Karoshi has become a critical global occupational health and safety concern. This study aimed to analyse Karoshi research through a bibliometric analysis and systematic review using Web of Science and Scopus as data sources. A bibliometric analysis of 324 papers published from 1997 to 2024 was conducted. Subsequently, 83 articles were chosen for the systematic review. Results showed that personal (workaholism, lifestyle habits and preexisting health conditions), organisational (work demands, corporate culture and management practices) and social factors (national culture, economic pressure and labour policies) were related to the occurrence of Karoshi. Accordingly, a theoretical framework involving these factors was proposed to explain Karoshi. Moreover, overwork notably affects employees' physical, mental health and life quality pre-Karoshi. Most existing studies used questionnaire-based methods, which may be subject to recall bias, potentially affecting the accuracy of the findings. This study provided a basis for future research and policies to mitigate Karoshi risks.