Late mortality in severe depression

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Abstract
Objective: To assess late mortality among psychiatric in‐patients with severe depression/melancholia. Method: 1206 in‐patients rated at discharge on a multidimensional diagnostic schedule had received the diagnosis severe depression/melancholia between 1956 and 1969. A first follow‐up was made in 1984. The present follow‐up constitutes 675 survivors 15–42 years after the first admission. They were followed‐up by means of the general population register and local parish registers to January 1st 1998. Results: At this second follow‐up another 279 patients were deceased, standardized mortality ratio 1.3, indicating a continuous increased mortality late in the course of depression. Eleven suicides (4%) were included, eight men and three women, which was less than the 22% found in the first investigation. Male patients showed a higher suicide rate than female patients late in the course. Conclusion: The general mortality and suicide rate remain increased late in the course.