Skip to main content
PMC home page
American Journal of Public Health logoLink to American Journal of Public Health
. 1989 Jun;79(6):727–730. doi: 10.2105/ajph.79.6.727

Psychiatric disorders and 15-month mortality in a community sample of older adults.

M L Bruce 1, P J Leaf 1
PMCID: PMC1349631  PMID: 2786347

Abstract

The relation between psychiatric disorders, defined by the Diagnostic Interview Schedule (DIS), and mortality over 15 months is compared in 3007 adults age 55 and over in the New Haven Epidemiologic Catchment Area (ECA) project. Our results indicate that the odds of dying are more than four times greater for individuals with affective disorders than for others in the sample, controlling for age, sex, and physical health. Cause of death is also examined. There were no suicides or deaths from external causes.

Full text

PDF
727

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Black D. W., Warrack G., Winokur G. The Iowa record-linkage study. III. Excess mortality among patients with 'functional' disorders. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1985 Jan;42(1):82–88. doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.1985.01790240084009. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Blazer D. G. Social support and mortality in an elderly community population. Am J Epidemiol. 1982 May;115(5):684–694. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a113351. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Folstein M. F., Folstein S. E., McHugh P. R. "Mini-mental state". A practical method for grading the cognitive state of patients for the clinician. J Psychiatr Res. 1975 Nov;12(3):189–198. doi: 10.1016/0022-3956(75)90026-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Goldberg E. L., Comstock G. W., Hornstra R. K. Depressed mood and subsequent physical illness. Am J Psychiatry. 1979 Apr;136(4B):530–534. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Katz S., Akpom C. A. A measure of primary sociobiological functions. Int J Health Serv. 1976;6(3):493–508. doi: 10.2190/UURL-2RYU-WRYD-EY3K. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Leaf P. J., Bruce M. L., Tischler G. L., Freeman D. H., Jr, Weissman M. M., Myers J. K. Factors affecting the utilization of specialty and general medical mental health services. Med Care. 1988 Jan;26(1):9–26. doi: 10.1097/00005650-198801000-00002. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Leaf P. J., Livingston M. M., Tischler G. L., Weissman M. M., Holzer C. E., 3rd, Myers J. K. Contact with health professionals for the treatment of psychiatric and emotional problems. Med Care. 1985 Dec;23(12):1322–1337. doi: 10.1097/00005650-198512000-00002. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Martin R. L., Cloninger C. R., Guze S. B., Clayton P. J. Mortality in a follow-up of 500 psychiatric outpatients. I. Total mortality. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1985 Jan;42(1):47–54. doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.1985.01790240049005. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Murphy E., Smith R., Lindesay J., Slattery J. Increased mortality rates in late-life depression. Br J Psychiatry. 1988 Mar;152:347–353. doi: 10.1192/bjp.152.3.347. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Murphy J. M., Monson R. R., Olivier D. C., Sobol A. M., Leighton A. H. Affective disorders and mortality. A general population study. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1987 May;44(5):473–480. doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.1987.01800170095012. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Myers J. K., Weissman M. M., Tischler G. L., Holzer C. E., 3rd, Leaf P. J., Orvaschel H., Anthony J. C., Boyd J. H., Burke J. D., Jr, Kramer M. Six-month prevalence of psychiatric disorders in three communities 1980 to 1982. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1984 Oct;41(10):959–967. doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.1984.01790210041006. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Nielsen J., Homma A., Biorn-Henriksen T. Follow-up 15 years after a geronto-psychiatric prevalence study. Conditions concerning death, cause of death, and life expectancy in relation to psychiatric diagnosis. J Gerontol. 1977 Sep;32(5):554–561. doi: 10.1093/geronj/32.5.554. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Robins L. N., Helzer J. E., Croughan J., Ratcliff K. S. National Institute of Mental Health Diagnostic Interview Schedule. Its history, characteristics, and validity. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1981 Apr;38(4):381–389. doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.1981.01780290015001. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Tsuang M. T., Simpson J. C. Mortality studies in psychiatry. Should they stop or proceed? Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1985 Jan;42(1):98–103. doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.1985.01790240100012. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Weissman M. M., Leaf P. J., Tischler G. L., Blazer D. G., Karno M., Bruce M. L., Florio L. P. Affective disorders in five United States communities. Psychol Med. 1988 Feb;18(1):141–153. doi: 10.1017/s0033291700001975. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Zuckerman D. M., Kasl S. V., Ostfeld A. M. Psychosocial predictors of mortality among the elderly poor. The role of religion, well-being, and social contacts. Am J Epidemiol. 1984 Mar;119(3):410–423. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a113759. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from American Journal of Public Health are provided here courtesy of American Public Health Association

RESOURCES