Mortality gap narrows for severe mental health, flattens for…
A Queensland-based study reveals that while the life expectancy gap between people with severe mental health conditions and the general population has narrowed, progress has stalled for those with schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders. Researchers emphasize that despite some improvements, the mortality gap remains a significant public health concern.
Why it matters
The findings highlight persistent health inequalities and the need for targeted interventions for individuals with severe mental health disorders.
A new Australian study on the mortality gap for people experiencing severe mental health conditions compared with the general population shows that the gap has narrowed. But for psychotic disorders, including schizophrenia, progress has flattened.
The retrospective population-based cohort study , the first of its kind for more than a decade, tracked data from every adult admission to Queensland hospitals between 2009–2023 (255,448 individuals).
Researchers looked at severe mental health conditions including schizophrenia, affective psychoses disorder (and other psychoses), alcohol or substance use disorders, neurotic disorders, stress and adjustment reactions, and depressive disorders.
The life expectancy gap for people experiencing these conditions generally, narrowed from 13.4 to 9.4 years in females, and 16.7 to 12.1 years in males.
The gap did not narrow significantly, in either sex, however, among people with schizophrenia or other psychoses.
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