Deaths in mental health care in Australia: an analysis of coroners' reports

Deaths in mental health care are often the subject of a coronial inquest, yet they remain under-researched in Australia. We analysed all publicly available coroners' reports over a three-year period that concerned the death in mental health care of an involuntary psychiatric patient. We found that most deaths arose from 'natural causes', not self-harm, and that most individuals who died in mental health care between 2017 and 2019 had a diagnosis of schizophrenia. Also, around one in four had an intellectual or cognitive impairment. Our findings support those of medical researchers who have identified high mortality rates amongst patients with schizophrenia. This research demonstrates the need for closer monitoring of mental health care deaths and further multidisciplinary research aimed at preventing avoidable deaths.