title: Excess mortality in bipolar disorders.
abstract: Bipolar disorder is associated with high mortality, and people with this disorder on average may die 10-20 years earlier than the general population. This excess and premature mortality continues to occur despite a large and expanding selection of treatment options dating back to lithium and now including anticonvulsants, antipsychotics, and evidence-based psychotherapies. This review summarizes recent findings on mortality in bipolar disorder, with an emphasis on the role of suicide (accounting for about 15% of deaths in this population) and cardiovascular disease (accounting for about 35-40% of deaths). Recent care models and treatments incorporating active outreach, integrated mental and physical health care, and an emphasis on patient self-management have shown promise in reducing excess mortality in this population.
authors.affiliation: Center for Healthcare Organization and Implementation Research, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA, christopher.miller8@va.gov.
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: Mark S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Bauer
mesh_terms: D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality*; D006801:Humans; D013405:Suicide / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*