Table 16.13-1. Minding the mortality gap in patients with serious mental illness

Patients with serious mental illness:

– Have elevated risk of dying from cardiovascular, respiratory, gastrointestinal, endocrine, infectious, genitourinary, neurologic, and neoplastic causes

– Have higher rates of suicide and accidental and violent deaths

– Have higher rates of obesity, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome

– Have higher rates of smoking

– Have more difficulty accessing services

– Have more difficulty adhering to medical treatments

– Are less likely to receive a comprehensive medical assessment

– Are less likely to receive screening tests

– Are less likely to receive specialty consultations and diagnostic tests