Excess Mortality Among Formerly Hospitalized Child Psychiatric Patients

This study investigated mortality in 881 male & 450 female formerly hospitalized child psychiatric patients in a 4 to 15 year follow up. Death from unnatural causes ocurred at a rate twice as high as expected based on age- & sex-matched comparisons with the general population of Iowa. Clinical variables associated with an excess rate of unnatural death included age 15 years or older at the time of admission, previous psychiatric hospitalizations & the presence of a seizure disorder.(GW)