Four different types of psychosocial factor have been found to be most consistently associated with an increased risk of CHD: work stress, lack of social support, depression (including anxiety) and personality (particularly hostility).  As yet there are no estimates of the numbers of deaths from CHD which are due to poor psychosocial well-being or of the numbers of deaths which could be avoided if psychosocial well-being was increased.

The Government acknowledges that 'working in jobs which make very high demands, or in which people have little or no control, increases the risk of coronary heart disease and premature death.   Inadequate social support or lack of social networks can also have a harmful effect on health and on the chances of recovering from disease'.