The gap in life expectancy from preventable physical illness in psychiatric patients in Western Australia: retrospective analysis of population based registers.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To examine the mortality experience of psychiatric patients in Western Australia compared with the general population.

Design

Population based study.

Setting

Western Australia, 1985-2005.

Participants

Psychiatric patients (292,585) registered with mental health services in Western Australia.

Main outcome measures

Trends in life expectancy for psychiatric patients compared with the Western Australian population and causes of excess mortality, including physical health conditions and unnatural causes of death.

Results

When using active prevalence of disorder (contact with services in previous five years), the life expectancy gap increased from 13.5 to 15.9 years for males and from 10.4 to 12.0 years for females between 1985 and 2005. Addit

SUBMITTER: Lawrence D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3660620 | biostudies-literature | 2013 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature