Late mortality in severe depression.
OBJECTIVE
To assess late mortality among psychiatric in-patients with severe depression/melancholia.


METHODS
1,206 in-patients rated at discharge on a multidimensional diagnostic schedule had received the diagnosis severe depression/ melancholia between 1956 and 1969. A first follow-up was made in 1984. The present follow-up constitutes 675 survivors 15-42 years after the first admission. They were followed-up by means of the general population register and local parish registers to January 1st 1998.


RESULTS
At this second follow-up another 279 patients were deceased, standardized mortality ratio 1.3, indicating a continuous increased mortality late in the course of depression. Eleven suicides (4%) were included, eight men and three women, which was less than the 22% found in the first investigation. Male patients showed a higher suicide rate than female patients late in the course.


CONCLUSIONS
The general mortality and suicide rate remain increased late in the course.
Brådvik
L
L
Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Lund University Hospital, Sweden.
Berglund
M
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006760:Hospitalization; D006778:Hospitals, Psychiatric; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012042:Registries; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*