Increasing mortality gap for patients diagnosed with schizophrenia over the last three decades—a Danish nationwide study from 1980 to 2010
Abstract
Objective The objective of this study is to describe secular trends in the average age of death in patients with schizophrenia and to compare these with the general population.Methods This is a longitudinal linkage study from 1 January 1980 to 31 December 2010 using the Danish Psychiatric Research Register and the Danish Cause of Death Register. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and survival analysis.Results The average age of death in the schizophrenia population (62.2 years; 95% CI, 61.9-62.5) was lower compared to the general population (73.4 years; 95% CI, 73.4-73.4), P<0.001. In the general population we found, for men, an average increase in the age of death of 0.28 years (95% CI, 0.27-0.28) per calendar year, and for women an increase in age of death of 0.31 years (95% CI, 0.31-0.32) per calendar year (both P<0.001). In contrast, age of death decreased in the schizophrenia population: the change in average age of death for males was 0.04 years (95% CI, -0.09 to 0.00) per calendar year (P<0.05), and the comparable estimate for females was -0.05 years (95% CI, -0.09 to 0.01) per calendar year (P<0.05). A similar pattern existed after acts of self-harm as cause of death were excluded from the analyses. Patients diagnosed with schizophrenia had an increased mortality rate compared with the general population (hazard ratio, 2.05; 95% CI, 2.01-2.09).Conclusions On average, patients with schizophrenia die younger than the general population, independent of intentional self-harm as cause of death.
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People with schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders die earlier than their peers in the general population, by around 15-20 years according to recent estimates.
“People with schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders die earlier than their peers in the general population, with recent estimates suggesting by around 15–20 years.1–10”
From Mortality in Schizophrenia and Other Psychoses: A 10-Year Follow-up of the ӔSOP First-Episode Cohort (2015) · cites this paper as [8]
Consistent evidence has accrued that people with psychotic disorder have higher mortality rates than the general population.
“Over the past decades, consistent evidence has accrued that people with psychotic disorder have higher mortality rates than the general population.1–9”
From Mortality in Schizophrenia and Other Psychoses: A 10-Year Follow-up of the ӔSOP First-Episode Cohort (2015) · cites this paper as [8]
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- Authors
- Nielsen, R. E., Uggerby, A. S., Jensen, S. O. W., & McGrath, J. J.
- Affiliations
- Aarhus University Hospital (DK)
- The University of Queensland (AU)
- Venue
- Schizophrenia Research
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2013-05
- Volume
- 146
- Issue
- 1-3
- Pages
- 22-27
- ISSN
- 0920-9964 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W1978327383
- Cited by
- 162
- References
- 30
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 8 · 2024: 12 · 2023: 11 · 2022: 13 · 2021: 16 · 2020: 13 · 2019: 10 · 2018: 22 · 2017: 18 · 2016: 12 · 2015: 7 · 2014: 12 · 2013: 4
- FWCI
- 8.27
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Schizophrenia Research (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- VBN Forskningsportal (Aalborg Universitet) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Schizophrenia research and treatment
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Mental Health Treatment and Access
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Suicide and Self-Harm Studies
- Keywords
- schizophrenia, mortality gap
- MeSH terms
- Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Denmark, Female, Health Surveys, Humans, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Middle Aged, Registries, Retrospective Studies, Risk Factors, Schizophrenia, Incidence, Chi-Square Distribution, Proportional Hazards Models, Survival Analysis, Age Distribution, Sex Distribution, Kaplan-Meier Estimate
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