The Mortality and Its Associated Factors in Schizophrenia Patients Older Than 60 Years

As in the general population, there is a gradual and steady increase in life expectancy of patients with schizophrenia. But this increase is at a smaller scale, with a rate of premature death that is still 2 to 3 times higher than that found in the general population. This excessive early mortality is explained by an overrepresentation of suicide deaths, but also a higher prevalence of somatic diseases, mainly cardiovascular. But today there are only very few epidemiological data on the mortality of patients with schizophrenia, including those aged over 60 years. What are the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics (psychiatric and somatic) of these schizophrenic elderly patients? Do they benefit from a somatic follow-up adequate and systematic? What are their levels of social independence and of quality of life? the answers these questions and the description of the offer of geriatric care and of psychiatric care currently provided by different sectors of psychiatry in France is an indispensable prerequisite for any project to improve the quality of life, state of health and mortality of older patients with schizophrenia.