New data suggests that individuals in Croydon with severe mental health conditions face a mortality rate nearly six times higher than their peers. The Mental Health Foundation has stated that these figures are not unexpected, as those with serious mental illnesses often face significant disadvantages.
NHS statistics reveal that between 2020 and 2022, 745 people with serious mental illness died in Croydon. Given the total of 53,831 individuals who have been in contact with secondary mental health services in the area since 2015, this equates to a mortality rate of 2,062 deaths per 100,000 people.
This is 5.7 times the mortality rate of individuals without mental illnesses, which stands at 359 deaths per 100,000. Dr David CrepazKeay, head of research and applied learning at the Mental Health Foundation, explained that there are numerous factors contributing to the shorter life expectancy and higher mortality rate of those with serious mental illnesses.
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He said: “There is anything between a 15 to 20 year drop in life expectancy for a diagnosis for schizophrenia, for example, but it is not about the condition itself being life shortening. It is down to other factors.”
He further noted that high levels of smoking, an increased likelihood of using unprescribed drugs, and poor sleep could all be contributing factors. “But probably more likely than that is the socio-economic determinants associated with poverty,” he added.
“By any measure, people with these diagnoses are much more likely to be unemployed, more likely to be living alone, and more likely to be poor. We know all of those have a health impact.”
The statistics reveal that individuals with serious mental health issues in England face a 2.3 times higher risk of dying from cancer, are 3.9 times more likely to succumb to heart disease, 6.3 times more likely to die from respiratory conditions, and face a 6.6 times greater risk of liver disease fatalities. In Croydon, the disparity in liver disease mortality is stark, with a rate of 145 deaths per 100,000 people.
Conversely, those without mental illnesses experience a mortality rate of just 16 deaths per 100,000, indicating that those with serious mental health conditions are 8.9 times more likely to die. Dr Crepaz-Keay has pointed out that this increased mortality rate doesn’t come as a surprise since this demographic has “never been seen as a high priority”.
He further commented: “It is a group that are significantly disadvantaged, and it is almost inevitable that that will at some point show up in poorer health outcomes.” Despite advancements in treatment, Dr Crepaz-Keay emphasises the need for more research support and a stronger political commitment to enhancing the health of those with mental health disorders.
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