Mortality and Medical Comorbidity Among Patients With Serious Mental Illness

This study examined mortality & medical comorbidity among patients with serious mental illness in Ohio. Data for 20,018 patients admitted to an Ohio public mental health hospital between 1998-2002 were matched against state death records; 608 deaths were identified. Heart disease & suicides were the leading causes of death. The highest cause-specific mean years-of-potential-life-lost was for suicides. Results highlight the need to integrate delivery of currently fragmented mental & physical health services & to target interventions that improve quality-of-life outcomes for this population. (15 refs.)