Natural cause mortality of mental health consumers: A 10‐year retrospective cohort study

Abstract

People with mental illness have substantially lower life expectancy than the general population, with mortality from natural causes most commonly attributed to cardiovascular diseases. The study aim was to identify characteristics of consumers who died of natural causes between 2009 and 2018 at one of Australia’s largest publicly funded mental health services. Data were collected with a retrospective medical record review of 102 consumers. Mean mortality age was 52.4 years (SD = 10.7) (with females 51.9 years [SD = 12.0], and males 52.7 years [SD = 9.9]), which was more than 30 years lower than the Australian population. Cardiovascular diseases were the most frequent mortality cause (39%), followed by respiratory conditions (23%), cancers (20%), and all other causes (19%). Sixty (61%) consumers had at least three co‐occurring physical health conditions. Seventy‐five (74%) smoked tobacco. Consumers who died from cardiovascular diseases were less likely to attend specialist medical follow‐up for their condition (P = 0.004), and more likely to die at home (P = 0.001). Consumers whose mortality age was above 55 years were more likely to have three co‐occurring physical health conditions (P = 0.034). Consumers whose mortality age was below 55 years were more likely to have sub‐optimal nutritional intake (P = 0.014) and higher body mass index (P = 0.008). There is a critical need to close the life expectancy gap for consumers. This requires dedicated focus on reducing mortality risk due to modifiable clinical characteristics which lead to consumer mortality. Mental health nurses play a key role in helping reduce consumers’ mortality and morbidity risk through prevention and early intervention strategies.

How do general hospitals respond to people diagnosed with a personality disorder who are distressed: A qualitative study of clinicians in mental health liaison

“…Clinical recommendations made by liaison nurses were sometimes ignored. An implication of this is that competency frameworks, e.g., Eales et al (2014) The role of mental health nurses in progressing the parity of esteem agenda, and reducing the mortality and morbidity risk of people with mental illness by tackling physical health has been well publicized (Suggett et al, 2021). However, there does not appear to have been the same focus on improving mental healthcare in physical health settings.…”

The physical health nurse consultant and mental health consumer: An important therapeutic partnership

“…This disparity contributes to the reduced life expectancy of up to 30 years (De Hert et al 2011;Department of Health 2017;Dickerson et al 2018;Firth et al 2019;Suggett et al 2021) primarily due to the increasing prevalence of physical health comorbidities (De Hert et al 2011;Edmunds 2018;Lawrence et al 2013;Oakley et al 2018) with consumers more likely to develop cardiovascular disease (40%), respiratory disease (23%) and cancer (20%) than the general population (Suggett et al 2021). These physical comorbidities are often associated with multiple modifiable lifestyle-related factors including obesity, cigarette smoking, physical inactivity and nutritional inadequacies (De Hert et al 2011;Morgan et al 2014;Oakley et al 2018;Suggett et al 2021;Vancampfort et al 2015). Negative or deficit symptoms of MI, and adverse drug reactions further increase the risk of developing physical comorbidities (Curtis et al 2012;Department of Health 2017;Firth et al 2019;Morgan et al 2012Morgan et al , 2014Oakley et al 2018) that negatively impact the consumers' social, occupational and emotional functioning and recovery (Department of Health 2017; Hassan et al 2020; Hemmings & Soundy 2020; Ince & G€ un€ us ßen 2018; Morgan et al 2014).…”

“…2019; Suggett et al . 2021). This disparity contributes to the reduced life expectancy of up to 30 years (De Hert et al .…”

“…2019; Suggett et al . 2021) primarily due to the increasing prevalence of physical health comorbidities (De Hert et al . 2011; Edmunds 2018; Lawrence et al .…”

“…Policy and research have consistently articulated the disproportionate physical ill-health that people diagnosed with a MI experience, compared to the general population (Department of Health 2017; Firth et al 2019;Suggett et al 2021). This disparity contributes to the reduced life expectancy of up to 30 years (De Hert et al 2011;Department of Health 2017;Dickerson et al 2018;Firth et al 2019;Suggett et al 2021) primarily due to the increasing prevalence of physical health comorbidities (De Hert et al 2011;Edmunds 2018;Lawrence et al 2013;Oakley et al 2018) with consumers more likely to develop cardiovascular disease (40%), respiratory disease (23%) and cancer (20%) than the general population (Suggett et al 2021). These physical comorbidities are often associated with multiple modifiable lifestyle-related factors including obesity, cigarette smoking, physical inactivity and nutritional inadequacies (De Hert et al 2011;Morgan et al 2014;Oakley et al 2018;Suggett et al 2021;Vancampfort et al 2015).…”