Mortality Among Patients With Schizophrenia and Reduced Psychiatric Hospital Care

The mortality of patients with schizophrenia in the general population of Finland during the reductions of psychiatric beds during 1980-1996 was investigated. Patients with schizophrenia had an increased mortality both from natural causes & from suicide. The relative risks for both natural & unnatural deaths was highest among patients with less than 5 years since the onset of schizophrenia. The reduction of psychiatric beds did not generally increase the mortality of these patients. However, patients in the early years of illness experienced increased mortality after the steepest bed reduction. (32 refs.)