Late mortality in severe depression

Authors: Brådvik L.¹; Berglund M.²

Source: Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, Volume 103, Number 2, February 2001 , pp. 111-116(6)

Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell

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Abstract:

Objective: To assess late mortality among psychiatric in-patients with severe depression/melancholia.

Method: 1206 in-patients rated at discharge on a multidimensional diagnostic schedule had received the diagnosis severe depression/melancholia between 1956 and 1969. A first follow-up was made in 1984. The present follow-up constitutes 675 survivors 15–42 years after the first admission. They were followed-up by means of the general population register and local parish registers to January 1st 1998.

Results: At this second follow-up another 279 patients were deceased, standardized mortality ratio 1.3, indicating a continuous increased mortality late in the course of depression. Eleven suicides (4%) were included, eight men and three women, which was less than the 22% found in the first investigation. Male patients showed a higher suicide rate than female patients late in the course.

Conclusion: The general mortality and suicide rate remain increased late in the course.

Keywords: depression; mortality; suicide; long-term follow-up

Language: English

Document Type: Original article

Affiliations: 1: Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Division of Psychiatry, Lund University Hospital, Lund and 2: Department of Clinical Alcohol Research, Malmö University Hospital, Malmö, Lund University, Sweden *

Publication date: 2001-02-01