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Cited by 869Schizophrenia research and treatmentSuicide and Self-Harm StudiesMental Health and Psychiatry

Excess mortality of schizophrenia: A meta-analysis

Brown, Steve·1997·British Journal of Psychiatry
DOI 10.1192/bjp.171.6.502
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Abstract

BACKGROUND: This paper presents a structured review of the published information on the mortality of schizophrenia. METHOD: A meta-analysis of the literature. RESULTS: Schizophrenia has a significantly increased mortality from natural and unnatural causes. Twenty-eight percent of the excess mortality is attributable to suicide and 12% to accidents. The rest of the excess mortality is from the same broad range of conditions which cause deaths in the general population. Further interpretation is hampered by confounding variables, wide confidence intervals and reservations about generalising from individual cohorts. CONCLUSIONS: The available evidence suggests that schizophrenia is associated with a large increased mortality from suicide and a moderate increased mortality from natural causes. A number of possible interventions have been identified, but we do not yet have reliable means of detecting any changes in mortality which might result.

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Crossref · 10.1192/bjp.171.6.502

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53 of 53 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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  • Brown 1997 meta-analysis found SMR in schizophrenia 1.51, i.e., mortality rate on average 51% higher than the general population.

    “The SMR in persons with schizophrenia was found to be 1.51, i.e., the mortality rate was on average 51% higher than that of the general population.”

    From Excess early mortality in schizophrenia. (2014) · cites this paper as Brown 1997

  • Period effects suggest a widening mortality gap, with greater relative all-cause mortality risk for the decade of follow-up for this cohort than reported for earlier decades.

    “we noted period effects suggestive of a widening mortality gap, insofar as a greater relative all-cause mortality risk was observed for the decade of follow-up for this cohort than that reported for earlier de- cades.4,9,12,35,36”

    From Mortality in Schizophrenia and Other Psychoses: A 10-Year Follow-up of the ӔSOP First-Episode Cohort (2015) · cites this paper as [35]

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Authors
Brown, S.
Affiliations
Royal South Hants Hospital (GB)
Corresponding author
Brown, Steve
Venue
British Journal of Psychiatry
Publisher
Royal College of Psychiatrists
Published
1997-12
Volume
171
Issue
6
Pages
502-508
ISSN
  • 0007-1250 (ISSN-L)
  • 1472-1465
DOI
10.1192/bjp.171.6.502
OpenAlex
W2144334285
Cited by
869
References
54
Citations by year
2026: 5 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 9 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 15 · 2021: 22 · 2020: 30 · 2019: 22 · 2018: 33 · 2017: 38 · 2016: 37 · 2015: 42 · 2014: 39 · 2013: 45 · 2012: 37
FWCI
2.56
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
www.cambridge.org/core/terms (unspecified, 7337 d)
Locations
  • The British Journal of Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • ePrints Soton (University of Southampton) (acceptedVersion)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Schizophrenia research and treatment
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Suicide and Self-Harm Studies
  • Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Philosophy › Mental Health and Psychiatry
Keywords
schizophrenia, excess mortality, suicide, accidental death, natural death, mortality risk factors, confounding variables
MeSH terms
Accidents, Cause of Death, Follow-Up Studies, Homicide, Humans, Schizophrenia, Sex Factors, Suicide

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