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Cited by 69Schizophrenia research and treatmentSuicide and Self-Harm StudiesHistorical Psychiatry and Medical Practices

Mortality in schizophrenia and related psychoses: data from two cohorts, 1875–1924 and 1994–2010

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Healy, David, Le Noury, Joanna, Harris, Margaret, Butt, Mohammed, Linden, Stefanie, Whitaker, Chris, Zou, Lu, Roberts, Anthony P·2012·BMJ Open
DOI 10.1136/bmjopen-2012-001810PMC PMC3488735
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Abstract

Objective: To investigate death rates in schizophrenia and related psychoses. Design: Data from two epidemiologically complete cohorts of patients presenting for the first time to mental health services in North Wales for whom there are at least 1, and up to 10-year follow-up data have been used to calculate survival rates and standardised death rates for schizophrenia and related psychoses. Setting: The North Wales Asylum Denbigh (archived patient case notes) and the North West Wales District General Hospital psychiatric unit. Population: Cohort 1: The North Wales Asylum Denbigh (archived patient case notes). Of 3168 patients admitted to the North Wales Asylum Denbigh 1875–1924, 1074 had a schizophrenic or related psychosis. Cohort 2: Patients admitted between 1994 and 2010 to the North West Wales District General Hospital psychiatric unit, of whom 355 had first admissions for schizophrenia or related psychoses. Results: We found a 10-year survival probability of 75% in the historical cohort and a 90% survival probability in the contemporary cohort with a fourfold increase in standardised death rates in schizophrenia and related psychoses in both historical and contemporary periods. Suicide is the commonest cause of death in schizophrenia in the contemporary period (SMR 35), while tuberculosis was the commonest cause historically (SMR 9). In the contemporary data, deaths from cardiovascular causes arise in the elderly and deaths from suicide in the young. Conclusions: Contemporary death rates in schizophrenia and related psychoses are high but there are particular hazards and windows of risk that enable interventions. The data point to possible interventions in the incident year of treatment that could give patients with schizophrenia a normal life expectancy.

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  • A Welsh study found persons admitted with schizophrenia to an asylum from 1875 to 1924 died 10.8 years earlier than the general population.

    “A Welsh study found that persons admitted with schizophrenia to an asylum from 1875 to 1924 died 10.8 years earlier than the general population (Healy et al. 2012).”

    From Excess early mortality in schizophrenia. (2014) · cites this paper as Healy et al. 2012

    The Population section identifies a North Wales asylum cohort admitted from 1875 to 1924. Results > Years of life lost reports 10.8 years lost for patients with schizophrenia whose deaths were confirmed, but 8.0 years when discharged patients were included. The citing sentence omits that qualification and presents 10.8 years as the figure for everyone admitted with schizophrenia. (LLM, conf=0.90)

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Research works printed but not linked: 22

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Authors
Healy, D., Le Noury, J., Harris, M., Butt, M., Linden, S., Whitaker, C., Zou, L., & Roberts, A. P.
Affiliations
  • North Wales Department of Psychological Medicine, Hergest Unit, Bangor, Wales, UK
  • King's College London (GB)
  • Bangor University (GB)
Corresponding author
Healy, David
ORCID
Venue
BMJ Open
Publisher
BMJ
Published
2012
Volume
2
Issue
5
Pages
e001810
ISSN
2044-6055 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1136/bmjopen-2012-001810
PMC
PMC3488735
OpenAlex
W2127127380
Cited by
69
References
3
Citations by year
2025: 2 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 7 · 2016: 9 · 2015: 6 · 2014: 8 · 2013: 11
FWCI
5.71
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by-nc
Locations
  • BMJ Open (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • HighWire Press Open Archive (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Schizophrenia research and treatment
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Suicide and Self-Harm Studies
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Historical Psychiatry and Medical Practices
Keywords
schizophrenia, mortality, survival rate, suicide, tuberculosis, cardiovascular disease, retrospective cohort, life expectancy, psychiatric hospital admissions

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