Violent death and mental illness. A study of a single catchment area over eight years.
The names of 412 residents of the catchment population of a district general hospital unit who died potentially self-inflicted deaths in the eight years 1974-81 were identified. They were classified as suicide (245), accidental death (126), and undetermined (41). In each group, over half had a lifetime history of psychiatric treatment and over a third were psychiatric patients at the time of their death. The relative risk of a violent death for those who died within a year of their last psychiatric contact was 27 times greater than that of residents with no recent psychiatric contact. The relative risk was highest for those aged 35-44 and lowest for those of 75 years and over.
King
E
E
Southampton University Department of Psychiatry, South Hants Hospital.
Barraclough
B
B
D000059:Accidents / Q000401:mortality*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002391:Catchment Area, Health; D002423:Cause of Death; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000401:mortality*; D008875:Middle Aged; D013405:Suicide / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014754:Violence; D014852:Wales / Q000453:epidemiology