Mortality among psychiatric patients--the groups at risk

This study examined standardized mortality ratios (SMR) among the patients who had undergone psychiatric hospitalization in Israel in 1978. The size of the sample (83,175 person-years) allowed us to calculate simultaneously SMR by age, sex, diagnosis and cause of death. The global SMR was 2.3 and decreased with age. Excess mortality was found in patients from all diagnostic groups for death from both natural and unnatural causes. Excess mortality from cancer was found only among patients aged under 40. The SMR for death by suicide was lower than that reported in the literature. The highest excess mortality was due to respiratory and infectious diseases in all groups and especially among young alcoholics and drug addicts (SMR = 273). This points to the importance of an ongoing follow-up of the physical health of psychiatric patients.