Mortality and causes of death in a total national sample of patients with affective disorders admitted for the first time between 1973 and 1993.

BACKGROUND

The high mortality from suicide in patients admitted to hospital with an affective disorder is well documented, although specific causes of mortality and changes in mortality are less well studied.

AIMS

To describe the pattern of mortality in patients with affective disorder and to study changes in suicide risk during the study period.

METHOD

All patients (n = 54,103) admitted for the first time to a psychiatric hospital in Denmark during the period 1973-1993 because of affective disorder were included in this study. The mortality rate was compared with that of the general population.

RESULTS

Mortality from natural and unnatural causes was elevated in all subgroups of affective disorder. The risk of suicide among patients ill for one year or less after first admission increased during the period 1973-1993.

CONCLUSIONS

More attention should be paid to the risk of suicide and to physical illness in patients with affective disorders.