Work can harm your mental health. A violent incident, a horrific accident or months of harassment can leave you with PTSD, depression or anxiety that makes it hard to do your job. In Ontario, the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) can provide benefits for diagnosed mental stress injuries caused by work. This guide explains the three types of mental stress claims, who's covered, the deadlines and how to file.
This is general information, not legal advice. The WSIB decides every claim, using its current policies.
What the WSIB covers for mental health
The WSIB provides benefits for work-related mental stress injuries that are diagnosed using the DSM-5, the standard manual of mental health diagnoses. It groups them into three types:
Traumatic mental stress. A diagnosed injury caused by, or significantly contributed to by, one or more traumatic events at work. Examples the WSIB gives include witnessing an armed robbery or the death of a co-worker in a workplace accident.
Chronic mental stress. A diagnosed injury where a substantial work-related stressor is the main, or "predominant," cause. The WSIB names workplace harassment as an example.
PTSD in first responders and other designated workers. For these workers, a PTSD diagnosis is presumed to be work-related if certain conditions are met.
If your claim is approved, the WSIB says supports can include therapy, medication, income support and help returning to work.
What counts as a "substantial" stressor
For chronic mental stress, the WSIB says a stressor is generally substantial if it's excessive in intensity or duration compared with the normal pressures workers in similar jobs face. Workplace harassment will generally be considered substantial.
The stressor doesn't have to be one event. It can be several stressors, or a build-up over time. The WSIB has to be able to identify the events you say caused your injury, so details matter.
People in jobs with a lot of routine stress aren't shut out. The WSIB's policy says a claim shouldn't be denied just because everyone in that job faces similar stress.
What isn't covered
This part surprises many people. The WSIB generally can't cover mental stress caused by your employer's decisions or actions about your employment. Examples include:
firing you or disciplining you
transferring you to a new location
changing your hours or duties
raising productivity expectations
The WSIB also says that everyday conflicts with supervisors, co-workers or customers aren't usually a substantial stressor. The exception is when the conflict amounts to workplace harassment, or to conduct a reasonable person would see as egregious or abusive.
PTSD in first responders and designated workers
The WSIB's presumption covers many roles. These include firefighters, police officers, paramedics and dispatch workers. It also includes correctional workers, nurses who provide direct patient care, probation officers, special constables and wildland firefighters.
Under the policy, PTSD is presumed to be work-related if:
You worked in one of these roles for at least one day on or after a set start date. For firefighters, police, paramedics, dispatch and correctional workers, that date is April 6, 2014. Roles added later have later dates. For example, it's May 8, 2018 for nurses, probation officers and special constables, and October 28, 2022 for wildland firefighters.
A psychologist or psychiatrist diagnosed you with PTSD. If you've left the role, the diagnosis must come no later than 24 months after you stopped working in it.
The diagnosis is PTSD as described in the DSM-5.
You still have to file within the usual six-month time limit. "Presumed" means you don't have to prove the link to work. The WSIB can still decide otherwise if there's evidence that shows the contrary.
The diagnosis you need
Every mental stress claim needs a DSM diagnosis. The WSIB lists diagnoses that may include acute stress disorder, PTSD, adjustment disorder, or an anxiety or depressive disorder.
For traumatic and chronic mental stress, the WSIB says the diagnosis must come from a qualified health professional. It names a physician, nurse practitioner, psychologist or psychiatrist. If you don't have a diagnosis yet, the WSIB says to see a health professional to be assessed first. For the first responder PTSD presumption, the diagnosis must come from a psychologist or psychiatrist.
Deadlines that matter
You have six months to claim. The WSIB says you have six months from the date of injury or diagnosis. For conditions that build up over time, its policy says the six months start when you report the condition as work-related. The WSIB may extend the deadline in some cases, but don't count on it.
Signing your claim matters. Without a signed claim and consent, the WSIB's policy says it pays only the first benefit payment, up to two weeks, and nothing more.
Your employer has three business days. Once your employer learns you need health care, are off work, are earning less or need modified work for more than seven days, it must report to the WSIB within three business days.
The WSIB is clear: when in doubt, report. You should report even if your employer tells you not to, says you're not covered or tells you to use sick days instead. It's against the law to discourage reporting.
How to file, step by step
Tell your employer what happened, in writing if you can. Keep a copy.
Get care. See a health professional and explain that your symptoms are related to work. The treating professional can send a Health Professional's Report (Form 8) to the WSIB.
File your claim. You report your injury or illness to the WSIB with the Worker's Report of Injury/Disease (Form 6). You can do this online. You must give your employer a copy.
Give consent. Your claim includes consent for your health professional to share your functional abilities with your employer. This covers what you can and can't do at work, so you and your employer can plan a safe return.
Ask for your employer's report. Your employer must give you a copy of its Form 7. If it doesn't, ask for it.
Building a clear record
Mental stress claims depend on facts. Write things down while they're fresh:
dates, times and places of incidents
what happened and who was there
emails, messages or complaints you made
how your symptoms started and changed
For harassment, a dated list of incidents can show the pattern the WSIB needs to see. Keep copies at home, not just on a work computer.
If your claim is denied
The WSIB says to speak to your Case Manager as soon as possible and explain why you disagree. If you still disagree, you can object to the decision through the WSIB's appeals process. There are time limits, so ask which deadline applies to your decision. If you're in a union, your representative can help too.
Getting support for a work injury
A work-related mental injury can shake your sense of safety and your sense of who you are. Therapy can help you process what happened, manage symptoms and plan a safe return to work, if that's your goal. Learn about our counselling for first responders, what treatments work for PTSD and our support for anxiety. Our clinicians can provide supporting documentation where appropriate, as part of your care with us.
You can see us in Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge or Ottawa, or by secure video from anywhere in Ontario.
Cost, billing and your first step
Sessions with our therapists range from $130 to $200, depending on the clinician.
We can direct bill the WSIB. The WSIB decides whether your claim is approved and what it covers, so we can't promise coverage.
We accept Health Spending Accounts (HSAs), and we can direct bill many other insurers. Coverage depends on your plan.
Book a free 15-minute consultation with our admin team. Let them know about your work injury and whether you have a WSIB claim number, and they'll help you find a good fit.
If you're in crisis: if you or someone you love is in immediate danger, call 911. If you're thinking about suicide, call or text 9-8-8 any time, day or night.
Last reviewed: October 2026