Do adverse perinatal events predict mortality in schizophrenia during midlife?

Abstract

Background: We examined mortality in schizophrenia spectrum disorder (SSD) and nonschizophrenic psychosis (NSSD) compared to individuals without psychosis, and whether perinatal factors predict mortality. (1.56-5.55), respectively. Among non-psychotic persons, mother's depression, smoking and low SES predicted mortality after adjustment for gender and parental psychoses (and SES), whereas among psychosis those whose father was a farmer had lower risk of mortality compared to those with high SES.Conclusions: Individuals with SSD had a higher risk of unnatural death and individuals with NSSD of natural and unnatural deaths. Perinatal factors seem to be more important predictors of mortality in individuals without psychoses than with psychoses. According to population-based long follow-up data, it is important to pay attention to somatic morbidity behind natural causes of death in psychoses and to prevent suicides in order to prevent excess mortality.