Patients with very-late-onset schizoprhenia-like psychosis have higher mortality rates than elderly patients with earlier onset schizophrenia

Objective In this register‐based study of schizophrenia patients aged 65 years or above, mortality and causes of death diagnosed at age of 60+ (very‐late‐onset schizophrenia‐like psychosis, VLOSLP) were studied in comparison with sex‐ and age‐matched general Finnish population. Standardized Mortality Ratios (SMRs) of VLOSLP patients were also compared with those of earlier onset (below 60 years) schizophrenia patients, and hazard of death was calculated between these patient groups. Methods The data was obtained from Finnish nationwide registers and consisted of 918 VLOSLP patients and 6142 earlier onset patients who were at least 65 years on 1 January 1999. The register‐based follow‐up for mortality covered 10 years between 1999 and 2008. Results Overall SMR was 5.02 (4.61–5.46) in the group of VLOSLP patients and 2.93 (2.83–3.03) in the group of earlier onset patients. In men, SMRs were 8.31 (7.14–9.62; n = 179) and 2.91 (2.75–3.07, n = 1316) and in women 4.21 (3.78–4.66; n = 364) and 2.94 (2.82–3.07, n = 2055). In the VLOSLP group, SMRs were higher in most causes‐of‐death categories such as accidents, respiratory diseases, dementias, neoplasms and circulatory diseases. However, in direct comparison adjusted for several variables, the difference between these groups was minimal (Hazard Ratio, HR, 1.16 95%CI 1.05–1.27, p = 0.003). Conclusion Patients with VLOSLP, especially men, are at even higher risk of death than schizophrenia patients with earlier onset. Physical comorbidities and accidents in the VLOSLP group mostly explained this result. Targeted clinical interventions with effective collaboration between psychiatry and primary and specialist‐level somatic care are crucial to reduce their excess mortality. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.