Mortality in affective disorders.
BACKGROUND
To investigate the mortality rates in affective disorders due to unnatural and natural causes with respect to illness subtype and social-demographic features.


METHODS
Mortality data were determined from a prospective study of 354 outpatients with affective disorders during a follow-up period of 5 years. Death from natural and unnatural causes was compared to sex- and age-specific expectations in the general population. Standardized mortality rates (SMR) in diagnostic subgroups and the influence of social-demographic features were investigated.


RESULTS
The observed 30 deaths represented nearly three times (SMR, 2.9) the number expected on the basis of age- and sex-standardized reference population rates. Death from natural causes occurred with the same rate as expected (SMR, 1.0), death from unnatural causes was 28.8 times higher than expected. Women with affective disorders had a considerable high risk to die from unnatural causes (SMR, 47.1). A significant excess of unnatural death was found in all subtypes of affective disorders, particularly in recurrent major depressive episodes (SMR, 46.7).


CONCLUSIONS
The sample was restricted in size. Therefore subgroup differences and multiple relationships of risk factors could not be analyzed with high statistical power.


CONCLUSIONS
The results corroborate earlier findings of excess mortality in major affective disorders and strengthen the view that suffering from recurrent major depression confers per se an important biological risk for suicide. Natural causes of death in affective disorders are comparable to expectations from reference populations. Social-demographic characteristics may contribute to an additional risk of premature death by suicide, particularly in women.
Schneider
B
B
Centre of Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy I, University of Frankfurt/Main, Heinrich-Hoffmann-Str. 10, D-60528 /Main, Frankfurt, Germany.
Müller
M J
MJ
Philipp
M
M
D000059:Accidents / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002423:Cause of Death; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006708:Homicide / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data