Association between occupational stress, mental health conditions, and heart disease

In Canada, heart disease is among the most common chronic conditions, with 2.6 million Canadians over the age of 20 living with diagnosed heart disease. For those with particularly stressful occupations – such as military service members and police – understanding this association is important both for determining possible mitigation efforts throughout an individual’s career as well as when determining benefit and disability eligibility. This rapid evidence profile provides a summary of the research evidence on the association between occupational stress and heart disease in the absence of a diagnosed mental health condition.