Compared with the general population, life expectancy is up to a decade shorter in people with mental disorders, according to a study in The Lancet. Researchers examined health data from almost 7.4 million people living in Denmark between 1995 and 2015. Using a measurement of “life-years lost,” the researchers derived life-expectancy estimates for separate groups of mental disorders, including depression, anxiety disorders and schizophrenia. They found that, on average, mental disorders shorten life expectancy by 10 years for men and seven years for women. The disorders associated with the largest and smallest average life-years change were substance use disorders in males (14.8 years) and organic disorders in females (5.42 years), respectively. Some of the increased mortality was due to suicide, but much was due to diseases such as cardiovascular disease, lung disease, diabetes and cancer. (Monitor on Psychology)

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