Work-related injury case sharing 12: Does suffering from mental illness due to being frightened at work count as a work-related injury?

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Case introduction: A postal worker named A was delivering mail to a customer’s home as assigned by his employer; he was frightened by a wolf dog that appeared in that household, which caused him to become stunned on the spot. Later, he was diagnosed with schizophrenia, and that fright was identified as the trigger for the condition. Now, A’s parents have applied to the labor authorities to have it recognized as an occupational injury. How should this case be determined? Analysis: Based on expert consultations, it is not determined to be a work-related injury. In particular, foster care studies conducted to determine the impact of genetic and environmental factors on the disease have shown that it are the genes passed down by parents, rather than environmental factors, that play a crucial role in the risk of developing schizophrenia. Generally speaking, ordinary people who experience such a shock do not develop mental illnesses. It should be noted, however, that if a mental disorder is caused by brain damage or lesions resulting from external forces such as severe blows, and meets other criteria for recognizing it as a work-related injury, it should be classified as such. Conclusion: It cannot be recognized as a work-related injury ；