MORTALITY AMONG PSYCHIATRIC-PATIENTS REFERRED TO THE MENTAL-HEALTH-SERVICES IN VALENCIA

The rate of survival and causes of mortality in a cohort of 2103 psych iatric patients registered on a psychiatric case register and followed tip for 7 years are compared with those of a general population sampl e (n = 2382) randomly extracted from the municipal census in Valencia (Spain). Using multivariate analysis by Cox regression, patients suffe ring organic psychoses and those diagnosed with drug abuse or dependen cy exhibited a greater risk of death than the general population for t he total causes of death: no interaction was found between sociodemogr aphic variables and psychiatric pathology. Tn terms of the causes of d eath. and controlling for the effect of age and set. organic psychoses involved a greater risk of death due to cardiovascular and respirator y causes. and a greater risk of non-natural deaths than the general po pulation. Schizophrenia and related conditions, the abuse of alcohol/o ther drugs, and neurosis/personality disorders all presented a higher risk of death from liver disease. The major affective disorders involv ed a greater risk of death due to suicide or accidents. The study conc ludes with a discussion of the possible explanations of these results.