Dying Too Soon: Excess Mortality in Severe Mental Illness.

We aimed to identify baseline predictors of mortality in patients with a severe mental illness (SMI) over a 6-year period and to describe mortality rates as standardised mortality ratios (SMRs). We hypothesised that cardiovascular diseases, older age, cigarette smoking, more severe psychiatric symptoms and more severe psychotropic side effects, and alcohol or drug use were independent risk factors for mortality. Medical examinations were conducted at baseline in a cohort of 322 SMI patients.

Social inclusion and relationship satisfaction of patients with a severe mental illness.

Background: Research suggests that patients with a severe mental illness (SMI) are among the most social excluded in society. However, comparisons of social network composition and relationship satisfaction between SMI patients and a control group are rare.

Aims: Our aim was to compare differences in size, satisfaction and composition of the social network between patients with SMI and a control group.

Homesick: residential and care patterns in patients with severe mental illness.

Background: Changes in the residential and care settings of patients with severe mental illness (SMI) are a concern because of the large variety of possible negative consequences. This study describes patterns of changes in the residential and care settings of SMI patients and explores associations between these changes, sociodemographics, and clinical characteristics.

Methods: From January 2006 to January 2012, all data relating to changes in residential and/or care setting by SMI patients (N = 262) were collected from electronic case files.

Pathways through care of severely mentally ill individuals experiencing multiple public crisis events: a qualitative description.

Background: Patients experiencing severe mental illnesses (SMI) need continuing support and remain vulnerable in many domains. Crisis interventions and compulsory admissions are common, causing a huge burden on police, health workers, the community and patients. The aim of this retrospective case-file study is to determine profiles of SMI-patients and their pathways through care among those experiencing multiple public crisis events.

Victimisation in adults with severe mental illness: prevalence and risk factors.

Background: Patients with a severe mental illness (SMI) are more likely to experience victimisation than the general population.

Aims: To examine the prevalence of victimisation in people with SMI, and the relationship between symptoms, treatment facility and indices of substance use/misuse and perpetration, in comparison with the general population.

Method: Victimisation was assessed among both randomly selected patients with SMI (n = 216) and the general population (n = 10 865).

Risk of Criminal Victimisation in Outpatients with Common Mental Health Disorders.

Background: Crime victimisation is a serious problem in psychiatric patients. However, research has focused on patients with severe mental illness and few studies exist that address victimisation in other outpatient groups, such as patients with depression. Due to large differences in methodology of the studies that address crime victimisation, a comparison of prevalence between psychiatric diagnostic groups is hard to make.