Death rate from ischaemic heart disease in Western Australian psychiatric patients 1980-1998.

BACKGROUND

People with mental illness suffer excess mortality due to physical illnesses.

AIMS

To investigate the association between mental illness and ischaemic heart disease (IHD) hospital admissions, revascularisation procedures and deaths.

METHOD

A population-based record-linkage study of 210 129 users of mental health services in Western Australia during 1980-1998. IHD mortality rates, hospital admission rates and rates of revascularisation procedures were compared with those of the general population.

RESULTS

IHD (not suicide) was the major cause of excess mortality in psychiatric patients. In contrast to the rate in the general population, the IHS mortality rate in psychiatric patients did not diminish over time. There was little difference in hospital admission rates for IHD between psychiatric patients and the general community, but much lower rates of revascularisation procedures with psychiatric patients, particularly in people with psychoses.

CONCLUSIONS

People with mental illness do not receive an equitable level of intervention for IHD. More attention to their general medical care is needed.