The Relationship Between Mental Disorders and Heart Diseases Among General Workers: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Abstract

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.