The British Journal of Psychiatry 130: 162-166 (1977)
© 1977 The Royal College of Psychiatrists

Mortality in patients with schizophrenia, mania, depression and surgical conditions. A comparison with general population mortality

MT Tsuang and RF Woolson

Mortality data are presented from a four-decade follow-up study of 200 schizophrenic, 100 manic, 225 depressive patients, and 160 surgical controls (80 appendicectomy; 80 herniorrhaphy). Data for this analysis were available on 648 (95 per cent) members of the study population. Using sex-age standardized mortality ratios (SMR), the mortality experience of the study population was compared with that of the state of Iowa, the geographical area served by the admitting medical facility for the study group. Results are presented for a four-decade period beginning 1935-44, and ending 1965-74. All three psychiatric groups had a significant increase in mortality risk. This was most pronounced in the first decade following admission, although schizophrenic patients, especially females, continued to show a significant excess of deaths throughout the entire four decades of the follow-up period. During no decade of the follow-up period did the mortality of the surgical controls differ significantly from that of the Iowa population.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				C. P. Carney and L. E. Jones Medical comorbidity in women and men with bipolar disorders: a population-based controlled study. Psychosom Med, September 1, 2006; 68(5): 684 - 691. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. Morriss and F. A. Mohammed Metabolism, lifestyle and bipolar affective disorder J Psychopharmacol, November 1, 2005; 19(6_suppl): 94 - 101. [Abstract] [PDF]

				R. A. SCHOEVERS, A. T. F. BEEKMAN, W. V. TILBURG, D. J. H. DEEG, C. JONKER, M. I. GEERLINGS, and B. W. J. H. PENNINX Association of depression and gender with mortality in old age: Results from the Amsterdam Study of the Elderly (AMSTEL) The British Journal of Psychiatry, October 1, 2000; 177(4): 336 - 342. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. A. Golomb, J. M. Pyne, B. Wright, B. Jaworski, J. B. Lohr, and S. A. Bozzette The Role of Psychiatrists in Primary Care of Patients With Severe Mental Illness Psychiatr Serv, June 1, 2000; 51(6): 766 - 773. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. P. Dembling, D. T. Chen, and L. Vachon Life Expectancy and Causes of Death in a Population Treated for Serious Mental Illness Psychiatr Serv, August 1, 1999; 50(8): 1036 - 1042. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. J. Christensen, R. Dornink, S. L. Ehlers, and S. K. Schultz Social Environment and Longevity in Schizophrenia Psychosom Med, March 1, 1999; 61(2): 141 - 145. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. P. Carney, W. R. Yates, C. J. Goerdt, and B. N. Doebbeling Psychiatrists' and Internists' Knowledge and Attitudes About Delivery of Clinical Preventive Medical Services Psychiatr Serv, December 1, 1998; 49(12): 1594 - 1600. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Kuperman, D. W. Black, and T. L. Burns Excess Mortality Among Formerly Hospitalized Child Psychiatric Patients Arch Gen Psychiatry, March 1, 1988; 45(3): 277 - 282. [Abstract] [PDF]

				D. W. Black, G. Winokur, and A. Nasrallah Suicide in Subtypes of Major Affective Disorder: A Comparison With General Population Suicide Mortality Arch Gen Psychiatry, October 1, 1987; 44(10): 878 - 880. [Abstract] [PDF]

				J. M. Murphy, R. R. Monson, D. C. Olivier, A. M. Sobol, and A. H. Leighton Affective Disorders and Mortality: A General Population Study Arch Gen Psychiatry, May 1, 1987; 44(5): 473 - 480. [Abstract] [PDF]

				K. S. Kendler A Twin Study of Mortality in Schizophrenia and Neurosis Arch Gen Psychiatry, July 1, 1986; 43(7): 643 - 649. [Abstract] [PDF]

				P. Allebeck and B. Wistedt Mortality in Schizophrenia: A Ten-Year Follow-up Based on the Stockholm County Inpatient Register Arch Gen Psychiatry, July 1, 1986; 43(7): 650 - 653. [Abstract] [PDF]

				K. S. Kendler, A. M. Gruenberg, and M. T. Tsuang Psychiatric Illness in First-degree Relatives of Schizophrenic and Surgical Control Patients: A Family Study Using DSM-III Criteria Arch Gen Psychiatry, August 1, 1985; 42(8): 770 - 779. [Abstract] [PDF]

				D. W. Black, G. Warrack, and G. Winokur Excess Mortality Among Psychiatric Patients: The Iowa Record-Linkage Study JAMA, January 4, 1985; 253(1): 58 - 61. [Abstract] [PDF]

				D. W. Black, G. Warrack, and G. Winokur The Iowa Record-Linkage Study: II. Excess Mortality Among Patients With Organic Mental Disorders Arch Gen Psychiatry, January 1, 1985; 42(1): 78 - 81. [Abstract] [PDF]

				M. T. Tsuang and J. C. Simpson Mortality Studies in Psychiatry: Should They Stop or Proceed? Arch Gen Psychiatry, January 1, 1985; 42(1): 98 - 103. [Abstract] [PDF]

				K. S. Kendler, A. M. Gruenberg, and J. S. Strauss An Independent Analysis of the Copenhagen Sample of the Danish Adoption Study of Schizophrenia: V. The Relationship Between Childhood Social Withdrawal and Adult Schizophrenia Arch Gen Psychiatry, November 1, 1982; 39(11): 1257 - 1261. [Abstract] [PDF]

				K. S. Kendler, A. M. Gruenberg, and J. S. Strauss An Independent Analysis of the Copenhagen Sample of the Danish Adoption Study of Schizophrenia: IV. The Relationship Between Major Depressive Disorder and Schizophrenia Arch Gen Psychiatry, June 1, 1982; 39(6): 639 - 642. [Abstract] [PDF]

				S. W. Vernon and R. E. Roberts Use of the SADS-RDC in a Tri-Ethnic Community Survey Arch Gen Psychiatry, January 1, 1982; 39(1): 47 - 52. [Abstract] [PDF]

				K. S. Kendler, A. M. Gruenberg, and J. S. Strauss An Independent Analysis of the Copenhagen Sample of the Danish Adoption Study of Schizophrenia: II. The Relationship Between Schizotypal Personality Disorder and Schizophrenia Arch Gen Psychiatry, September 1, 1981; 38(9): 982 - 984. [Abstract] [PDF]

				T. J. Craig and S. P. Lin Mortality Among Psychiatric Inpatients: Age-Adjusted Comparison of Populations Before and After Psychotropic Drug Era Arch Gen Psychiatry, August 1, 1981; 38(8): 935 - 938. [Abstract] [PDF]

				M. T. Tsuang, R. F. Woolson, and J. A. Fleming Premature Deaths in Schizophrenia and Affective Disorders: An Analysis of Survival Curves and Variables Affecting the Shortened Survival Arch Gen Psychiatry, September 1, 1980; 37(9): 979 - 983. [Abstract] [PDF]

				M. M. Weissman and J. K. Myers Affective Disorders in a US Urban Community: The Use of Research Diagnostic Criteria in an Epidemiological Survey Arch Gen Psychiatry, November 1, 1978; 35(11): 1304 - 1311. [Abstract] [PDF]

				M. T. Tsuang and R. F. Woolson Excess Mortality in Schizophrenia and Affective Disorders: Do Suicides and Accidental Deaths Solely Account for This Excess? Arch Gen Psychiatry, October 1, 1978; 35(10): 1181 - 1185. [Abstract] [PDF]

				M. T. Tsuang Suicide in Schizophrenics, Manics, Depressives, and Surgical Controls: A Comparison With General Population Suicide Mortality Arch Gen Psychiatry, February 1, 1978; 35(2): 153 - 155. [Abstract] [PDF]