Abstract
Mortality and Causes of Death in a Total National Sample of Patients With Affective Disorders Admitted for the First Time Between 1973 and 1993
Hoyer E H~~Mortensen P B~~Olesen A V
This study describes the pattern of mortality in patients with affective disorder & examines changes in suicide risk during the study period. All patients (n=54103) admitted for the first time to a psychiatric hospital in Denmark during 1973-1993 because of affective disorder were included. The mortality rate was compared with that of the general population. Mortality from natural & unnatural causes was elevated in all subgroups of affective disorder. The risk of suicide among patients ill for 1 year or less after first admission increased during the study period.