Depression increased heart disease risk by OR 1.53, anxiety by 1.87, and PTSD by 1.70 among workers, indicating significant associations.
Does exposure to mental disorders (depression, anxiety, PTSD) increase the risk of heart disease in general workers?
Mental disorders including depression, anxiety, and PTSD are significantly associated with an increased risk of developing heart disease among general workers.
Background/Objectives One possible effect of mental disorders among general workers is their impact on cardiovascular health. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between mental disorders—specifically depression, anxiety, depression-anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)—and heart disease in workers. Methods This systematic review and meta-analysis followed PRISMA guidelines. A comprehensive search was conducted across five electronic bibliographic databases. Two independent researchers screened and selected studies by examining titles and abstracts. Data was independently extracted by two reviewers from the chosen studies. Moreover, a meta-analysis was performed focusing on the odds ratio values. Results Thirty-four studies were included in the analysis. Of these, 29 focused on myocardial infarction, 2 on heart failure, and 2 on ischemic heart disease. Among the reviewed studies, 30 out of 34 demonstrated a significant association between depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder with heart diseases. Based on the results of meta-analysis, pooled values of odds ratio related to association between depression, anxiety, and PTSD with heart disease were 1.53 (95% CI: 1.26–1.80), 1.87 (95% CI: 0.13–3.61), and 1.70 (95% CI: 1.34–2.05), respectively. Conclusions The findings suggest that depression, anxiety, depression-anxiety, and PTSD may contribute to the development of heart disease in workers. However, the high heterogeneity warrants cautious interpretation. Consequently, it is imperative that preventive measures, such as workplace mental health programs, stress management interventions, occupational therapy programs, and policies targeting occupational risk factors, are implemented.
Wang et al. (2026) studied this question. Depression increased heart disease risk by OR 1.53, anxiety by 1.87, and PTSD by 1.70 among workers, indicating significant associations.