Mortality and hidden mental disorder in the Lundby Study. Age-standardized death rates among mentally ill 'non-patients' in a total population observed during a 25-year period.

In the Lundby Study, all mental illnesses, treated as well as untreated, that occurred during a 25-year period in a geographically defined Swedish general population sample were evaluated. All forms of psychiatric services used by the population during the same period were registered. The present study investigates the mortality pattern of mentally ill persons who did not receive psychiatric specialist treatment. Men with a 'hidden' mental disorder showed a significantly increased mortality from non-violet causes (p less than 0.001). The relative somatic death risk in this group was even slightly higher than that found among mentally ill men who had received psychiatric specialist care. The somatic overmortality found among women with a hidden mental disorder did not reach statistical significance, while mentally ill women who had been treated showed a significant excess mortality from natural causes (p less than 0.05). The total number of violet deaths was small and calculations on violet death risks were performed only for men. Among men with a hidden mental disorder the age-standardized violent death risk was twice that of the total male population, but the increase did not reach statistical significance. Men with a treated mental disorder showed a significant over-mortality from violent causes (p less than 0.001).