It was noted previously that clients in Virginia state psychiatric hospitals had a lower risk of death and longer lives than public mental health clients from the other seven states. These findings raise additional questions. Do differences in treatment and care exist between clients in hospital residences and clients residing and receiving treatment in communities? If so, the differences could influence mortality rates, life span, age at time of death, and subsequently YPLL. Are medical and other types of care for improving physical health provided to public mental health clients living in a hospital setting but not to clients in less-controlled environments? Although answering these questions directly is beyond the scope of this study, causes of death for public mental health clients and the health issues of people with mental illness suggest that treatment practices can be developed and used to help address the problem of premature death among people with mental illness.
