Quantifying the contribution of mental illness to premature mortality

Overview

People with mental disorders have a mortality rate around two times higher than the general population, with an average reduction in life expectancy of a decade. The majority of deaths are due to natural causes, which are most often comorbid physical health conditions.

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) has highlighted the significance of this public health challenge by convening the scientific community around this problem and by supporting funding opportunity announcements that underscore the complexity of managing medical comorbidities as well as the need for integrated interventions. However, the excess mortality associated with mental disorders has yet to be included in global health estimates, for which a better understanding of the underlying causal pathways is required.

The overarching objective of this project is to develop a methodological framework for quantifying premature mortality attributable to mental disorders. This project aims to establish the evidence base for serious mental illness (SMI) risk-outcome pairings, test new and existing models for quantification of mortality risk for SMI, identify novel targets for intervention using a systems dynamic modelling approach, and develop a framework for replication on other risk-outcome pairings.

Lead investigator
Fiona Charlson

Project team
Suhailah Ali

Funded by
NHMRC Early Career Fellowship – APP1138488

In partnership with
University of Washington, Harvard University, Addis Ababa University

CURRENT

COMPLETED