Dtsch Arztebl Int
-
Mentally ill patients die on average 10 years earlier than the general population, largely due to general medical disorders. This study is the first to explore in a large German sample the prevalence, mortality, and medical comorbidity in pa- tients with severe mental illness (SMI). The patients were affected by borderline personality disorder (BPD), psychotic disorders, bipolar disorder, or severe unipolar depression. ⋯ Mortality is substantially elevated in all SMI patients. The results underline the need to remove barriers to adequate general medical care, both on the patient and the provider side, to reduce excess mortality.