Personality disorder review finds elevated mortality, especially from unnatural causes
A synthesis of longitudinal studies found higher mortality among patients with personality disorders. Unnatural causes, particularly suicide, stood out, but individual risk remains difficult to interpret.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
The review found elevated mortality from all causes, natural causes, and unnatural causes among patients with personality disorders. The relative excess was greatest for unnatural causes, with suicide identified as the main contributor. These observational findings describe group-level patterns; they do not establish that a diagnosis itself causes death or predict an individual's outcome.
The abstract does not describe the mortality reference populations, follow-up lengths, or results for individual diagnoses. These gaps limit interpretation of the pooled estimates and their relevance to any particular patient.
Understanding the mortality ratio
The pooled standardized mortality ratio compared observed deaths with those expected from reference rates: 4.16 times as many deaths from all causes (95% CI: 3.74–4.62). This is not an absolute death probability; reference populations and follow-up periods are unspecified.
Differences between studies
The researchers also explored factors that might help explain differences between studies. The abstract says these factors varied across causes of death, but does not name them or quantify their effects on the pooled results.
The original publication
Global estimates of natural, unnatural, and all-cause mortality in patients with personality disorders: A meta-analysis of longitudinal studies and meta-regression of potential moderators in a sample of 34 million people.
Komasi S, Zakiei A, Haeffel GJ et al.
Gen Hosp Psychiatry · 2025
- PubMed ID
- 40997674
- Record checked
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