People with a mental illness run an increased risk of death by homicide, suicide or accident.

It's well known that mental health problems like depression or schizophrenia are associated with higher rates of suicide. What's not been clear is whether mental illness also increases the risk of other causes of unnatural death.

Researchers at the University of Manchester, UK, along with colleagues in Denmark compared the Danish Psychiatric Case Register with the National Register of Causes of Death. They found that one quarter of deaths among the mentally ill were from unnatural causes: one per cent from homicide, 73 per cent suicide and 26 per cent accidental death. This means that people with a mental illness are six times more likely to be a victim of homicide than the general population. Alcohol and drug abuse were important factors is many of these deaths.

Strategies for reducing suicide risk among the mentally ill continue to be important. But this study suggests that we also need to look at how to reduce other types of unnatural and premature death in this vulnerable group.

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Lancet December 22 2001