An Integrative Literature Review on Career-Related Difficulties and Psychological Resources among Middle-Aged Adults in Korea: Focusing on the Last Decade of Domestic Academic Journals

This study conducted an integrative literature review of 109 academic journal articles published in Korea from 2015 to May 2025, focusing on career-related difficulties and psychological career resources among middle-aged adults. The analysis revealed that external career barriers (95 cases) outnumbered internal barriers (47 cases). External barriers were categorized into three groups: career and job-related difficulties, labor market and socio-institutional challenges, and family and personal issues. Internal barriers were classified into four categories: career-related anxiety and burden, identity and self-concept difficulties, psychological and emotional challenges, and midlife crisis-related issues. Notably, career discontinuity and transition problems, labor market issues, job performance difficulties, and career-related anxiety emerged as key barriers. Psychological career resources were analyzed based on Coetzee’s theory, identifying five factors: career preferences, career values, career motivation, career skills, and career harmony. Among these, psychological well-being, satisfaction, reflection, and self-understanding—components of career harmony—were the most frequently reported resources. This study aims to comprehensively summarize the career difficulties and psychological resources of middle-aged adults in Korea, providing practical implications for career counseling, career education, and policy development targeted at this demographic.