High excess mortality in patients with schizophrenia despite more decentralized and community-based treatment: are women at particular risk?

Background/Objectives: To study mortality of schizophrenia patients with a special focus on gender differences and changes in mortality over a 27-year period. Methods: The study is based on the admission register at The University Hospital of Northern Norway, using the unique 11-digit person number assigned to every resident in Norway. A total of 5,840 persons were admitted, 2,724 females and 3,116 males. 1,111 patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia (426 women, 38%; 685 men, 62%) were included from the date of first admission after January 1st 1980 until death, moving abroad or December 31st 2006, for a tota…