MORTALITY AMONG PATIENTS WITH INVOLUTION MELANCHOLIA

¹ New York State Department of Mental Hygiene

Patients with involution melancholia had an average annual crude death rate of 132.4 per 1000 exposures. This is almost twice the rate for patients with manic-depressive psychoses, and four times the rate for patients with dementia præcox. It is the highest rate of any of the functional group of psychoses. On the basis of standardized death rates, patients with involution melancholia had a death rate in excess of that of the general population in the ratio of 6.2 to 1. Among males and females the corresponding ratios were 6.2 to 1 and 6.8 to 1, respectively. Males have higher death rates than females, though the difference is not significant with respect to the probable error.

Diseases of the heart constitute the leading cause of death, being responsible for almost 40 per cent of all the deaths. The death rate from these diseases is almost eight times the corresponding rate in the general population, when both are corrected for age. Pneumonia was responsible for only a third as many deaths as diseases of the heart. Tuberculosis ranked third as a cause of death. It is noteworthy, however, that the death rate from tuberculosis exceeded that of patients with dementia præcox.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				S Vale Psychosocial stress and cardiovascular diseases Postgrad. Med. J., July 1, 2005; 81(957): 429 - 435. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. Nahshoni, D. Aravot, D. Aizenberg, M. Sigler, G. Zalsman, B. Strasberg, S. Imbar, E. Adler, and A. Weizman Heart Rate Variability in Patients With Major Depression Psychosomatics, April 1, 2004; 45(2): 129 - 134. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. C. Peterson, M. E. Charlson, P. Williams-Russo, K. H. Krieger, P. A. Pirraglia, B. S. Meyers, and G. S. Alexopoulos New Postoperative Depressive Symptoms and Long-Term Cardiac Outcomes After Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery Am J Geriatr Psychiatry, April 1, 2002; 10(2): 192 - 198. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. A. SCHOEVERS, A. T. F. BEEKMAN, W. V. TILBURG, D. J. H. DEEG, C. JONKER, M. I. GEERLINGS, and B. W. J. H. PENNINX Association of depression and gender with mortality in old age: Results from the Amsterdam Study of the Elderly (AMSTEL) The British Journal of Psychiatry, October 1, 2000; 177(4): 336 - 342. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. H. Glassman and P. A. Shapiro Depression and the Course of Coronary Artery Disease Am J Psychiatry, January 1, 1998; 155(1): 4 - 11. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				L. A. Pratt, D. E. Ford, R. M. Crum, H. K. Armenian, J. J. Gallo, and W. W. Eaton Depression, Psychotropic Medication, and Risk of Myocardial Infarction: Prospective Data From the Baltimore ECA Follow-up Circulation, December 15, 1996; 94(12): 3123 - 3129. [Abstract] [Full Text]

Get information about faster international access.

Privacy Policy

Copyright © 1937 American Psychiatric Association. All rights reserved.

Home | Search | Current Issue | Past Issues | Subscribe | All APPI Journals | Help | Contact Us