OBJECTIVE: The objective of this paper is to review the literature regarding mortality rates of psychiatric patients. METHODS: The authors carried out a systematic review (databases, sites and specialized journals) on studies about mortality of psychiatric patients. Medline, SciELO and LILACS databases were searched. The review included those studies that assessed the following: socioeconomic factors, clinic diagnosis, length of stay, diagnostic categories and mortality. RESULTS: The findings point to the fact that individuals with major mental disorders clearly present life expectation diminished as compared to general population and this mortality rate is even greater in those patients outside hospital. The trend towards deinstitutionalization of psychiatric patients that took place in the last century has reduced psychiatric beds all over the world. As a consequence there has been an important drawback in general health of those with mental disorders. CONCLUSION: There is a need of implementation of preventive and therapeutic programs aiming at the improvement of general health of psychiatric patients at all levels of mental health facilities.
mental disorders; mortality; psychiatry; update