Mortality in DSM-IIIR schizophrenia.
Mortality was investigated in 356 DSM-IIIR schizophrenics admitted to a university psychiatric hospital over a 12-year period. Determination of death was made through a record-linkage process and observed death was compared with the mortality experience of the general population of the State of Iowa. Schizophrenics had nearly a three-fold increase in overall mortality. Mortality was primarily attributable to unnatural causes of death, particularly suicide, which was more than twenty-three times greater than expected. Mortality was greater in schizophrenic patients younger than 40 years and during the early portion of follow-up. Studies of mortality in psychiatric patients continue to be important, particularly as diagnostic criteria become better refined.
Black
D W
DW
Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City 52242.
Fisher
R
R
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002423:Cause of Death; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007484:Iowa / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012307:Risk Factors; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology