Mortality and Causes of Death in Men Found to be Mentally Abnormal by Forensic Psychiatrists

Abstract

Four-hundred subjects, found to be mentally abnormal when examined at the ages of 15–29 by forensic psychiatrists, were followed over approximately 20 years. Forty-three of them died during the observation period. The deaths were analysed in comparison with the expected mortality in the general population. A marked excess mortality was demonstrated, especially for two groups categorized as “insane” and “equivalent to insane”. A moderate excess mortality was found for a more heterogeneous group “mentally disturbed”. For the group “mentally retarded”, the excess mortality was only slightly in excess of normal. The excess mortality obviously results from the high suicide rate and from other forms of violence.