Mortality rate in patients in a long-term psychiatric care facility in Johannesburg.

High mortality in people with severe mental illness (SMI) such as schizophrenia has been clearly shown in many studies. Patients with SMI have a life expectancy that is 15–20 years shorter than that of the general population. This reduced life expectancy in people with SMI contrasts with the recent trend of increased longevity in the general population. As a result, there is a substantial mortality gap between people with mental illness and the general population.

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