Abstract
It is now recognised that psychological stress can lead to physical ill health. This conclusion is largely based on epidemiological studies and to a lesser extent on laboratory studies with animals. It is however difficult to provide objective evidence to an insurance company or a court of law that psychological stress has been a contributing factor to the health problem of an individual or that people in certain professions run a risk of developing stress-related illnesses. This difficulty arises because long periods are necessary for the development of stress related illnesses and the problem of assessing what contribution to stress results from a particular occupation as distinct from family or other life events.
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