Mortality Rates After the First Diagnosis of Psychotic Disorder in Adolescents and Young Adults

Abstract

Importance: Individuals with psychotic disorders have increased mortality, and recent research suggests a marked increase shortly after diagnosis.

Objective: To use population-based data to examine overall and cause-specific mortality after first diagnosis of a psychotic disorder.

Design, setting, and participants: This cohort study used records from 5 integrated health systems that serve more than 8 million members in 5 states. Members aged 16 through 30 years who received a first lifetime diagnosis of a psychotic disorder from September 30, 2009, through September 30, 2015, and 2 comparison groups matched for age, sex, health system, and year of diagnosis were selected from all members making an outpatient visit (general outpatient group) and from all receiving a first diagnosis of unipolar depression (unipolar depression group).

Exposures: First recorded diagnosis of schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, mood disorder with psychotic symptoms, or other psychotic disorder in any outpatient, emergency department, or inpatient setting.

Main outcomes and measures: Death within 3 years after the index diagnosis or visit date, ascertained from health system electronic health records, insurance claims, and state mortality records.

Results: A total of 11 713 members with first diagnosis of a psychotic disorder (6976 [59.6%] men and 4737 [40.4%] women; 2368 [20.2%] aged 16-17 and 9345 [79.8%] aged 18-30 years) were matched to 35 576 outpatient service users and 23 415 members with a first diagnosis of unipolar depression. During the year after the first diagnosis, all-cause mortality was 54.6 (95% CI, 41.3-68.0) per 10 000 in the psychotic disorder group compared with 20.5 (95% CI, 14.7-26.3) per 10 000 in the unipolar depression group and 6.7 (95% CI, 4.0-9.4) per 10 000 in the general outpatient group. After adjustment for race, ethnicity, and preexisting chronic medical conditions, the relative hazard of death in the psychotic disorder group compared with the general outpatient group was 34.93 (95% CI, 8.19-149.10) for self-inflicted injury or poisoning and 4.67 (95% CI, 2.01-10.86) for other type of injury or poisoning. Risk of death due to heart disease or diabetes did not differ significantly between the psychotic disorder and the general outpatient groups (hazard ratio, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.15-3.96). Between the first and third years after diagnosis, all-cause mortality in the psychotic disorder group decreased from 54.6 to 27.1 per 10 000 persons and injury and poisoning mortality decreased from 30.6 to 15.1 per 10 000 persons. Both rates, however, remained 3 times as high as in the general outpatient group (9.0 per 10 000 for all causes; 4.8 per 10 000 for injury or poisoning).

Conclusions and relevance: Increases in early mortality underscore the importance of systematic intervention for young persons experiencing the first onset of psychosis. Clinicians should attend to the elevated suicide risk after the first diagnosis a psychotic disorder.

Figure.. Mortality Rates During 3 Years Among Health Plan Members

Members included patients who received a first diagnosis of a psychotic disorder (psychotic disorder group) and matched comparison groups selected from members making at least 1 outpatient visit (outpatient group) and members receiving a first diagnosis of unipolar depression (unipolar depression group). Error bars indicate 95% CIs.