Mortality Among Mentally Disordered Offenders: a Community Based Follow-up Study

A study was undertaken to estimate the standard mortality rate of a population based sample of people sentenced to forensic psychiatric care. All mentally disorders offenders in Orebro County, Sweden, discharged from a forensic psychiatric treatment unit between 1992-1999 were identified. Variables studied included gender, age, offense, diagnosis & duration of admission. Median follow-up time was 53 months. A significantly elevated standard mortality rate, mostly due to suicide, was noted among the sample of 46 subjects. Resettlement & rehabilitation services for this population may need to take as much account of mortality risk as that of reoffending. (14 refs.)