Patients with mental disorders have higher mortality rates than the general population, particularly from unnatural causes. However, research on psychiatric patient deaths is limited. In this study, we examined the incidence of sudden deaths in psychiatric hospitals from 2015 to 2024. An average of 6.5 deaths annually occurred in psychiatric settings, with a male-to-female ratio of 2.82:1. Most deaths were observed in patients in their 50s, with a body mass index of 20.1-25. Cardiovascular disease was the most common comorbidity, followed by gastrointestinal disorders. Schizophrenia was the most frequently diagnosed psychiatric condition, and most patients had been hospitalized for <1 year. Trauma was the leading cause of death, although 12 cases had undetermined causes. Among cases with undetermined causes of death, intellectual disability and schizophrenia were diagnosed in four males cases each, whereas both female cases had schizophrenia. This study highlights the frequent occurrence of unnatural or undetermined causes of death in psychiatric hospitals and emphasizes the need for greater attention to preventable fatalities.
Kwon et al. (2025) studied this question.