Although the increased mortality rates found in this study are outcome results, health conditions and other factors related to people with mental illness have been described by other researchers and help explain these mortality findings; examples are cited in the following paragraphs. Most public mental health clients in all of the states died of natural causes and at younger ages than the general populations of their states. Leading causes of death for most public mental health clients were similar to those of individuals throughout the United States and in state general populations, especially heart disease, cancer, and cerebrovascular, respiratory, and lung diseases. People with mental illness have medical problems that lead to death, especially if they have inadequate medical treatment.
