Psychotropics Linked to Worse Physical Problems and Mortality in Psychiatric Patients

Rob Wipond
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Common psychotropic medications may be contributing to the higher rates of physical illnesses and mortality in people diagnosed with mental illnesses, according to a systematic review published in World Psychiatry.

“People with severe mental illness have a considerably shorter lifespan than the general population,” began the authors. “This excess mortality is mainly due to physical illness.” Led by psychiatrist Christoph Correll from New York’s Long Island Jewish Health System, the researchers then reviewed articles published in MEDLINE from 2009 to 2014. “We systematically reviewed the effects of antipsychotics, antidepressants and mood stabilizers on physical health outcomes in people with schizophrenia, depression and bipolar disorder.”

The researchers found that, “Antipsychotics, and to a more restricted degree antidepressants and mood stabilizers, are associated with an increased risk for several physical diseases, including obesity, dyslipidemia, diabetes mellitus, thyroid disorders, hyponatremia; cardiovascular, respiratory tract, gastrointestinal, haematological, musculoskeletal and renal diseases, as well as movement and seizure disorders.”

“Besides mental illness-related factors, disparities in health care access and utilization, and unhealthy lifestyle, psychotropic medications can contribute to the emergence or aggravation of physical diseases,” stated the authors in the study’s conclusions. “In general, adverse effects on physical health are greatest with antipsychotics, followed by mood stabilizers, tricyclic antidepressants and newer antidepressants. However, effects vary greatly among individual agents, and interactions with underlying host factors are relevant. Higher dosages, polypharmacy, and the treatment of vulnerable (e.g., old or young) people seems to be associated with a greater effect on most physical diseases.”

Correll, Christoph U., Johan Detraux, Jan De Lepeleire, and Marc De Hert. “Effects of Antipsychotics, Antidepressants and Mood Stabilizers on Risk for Physical Diseases in People with Schizophrenia, Depression and Bipolar Disorder.” World Psychiatry 14, no. 2 (June 1, 2015): 119–36. doi:10.1002/wps.20204. (Abstract and full text)

6 COMMENTS

  1. It’s good this is finally being reported by / to the psychiatric industry, but it’s rather staggering to me that this is considered “news” to the psychiatric industry. Do they expect us to believe the psychiatrists didn’t know the neuroleptics, mood stabilizers, and antidepressants are toxic torture drugs?

    My psychiatrist knew exactly how to create the symptoms of ‘bipolar’ / ‘schizophrenia,’ via the central symptoms of neuroleptic induced anticholinergic intoxication syndrome. He did this with three distinctly different drug cocktails.

    His goal was to cover up prior easily recognized iatrogenesis and medical evidence of child abuse due to medical and religious incompetence, crimes, and greed.

    I’m quite certain the psychiatrists are aware of the toxic nature of their drugs, and how to use them as weapons of mass destruction, injustice, and thievery. An ethical pastor told me the religions and medical community have been utilizing the psychiatric industry to cover up their mistakes and sins for decades, he called these white collar crimes, “the dirty little secret of the two original educated professions.”

  2. But what makes this important is that whenever a report or news article comes out suggesting that people with “mental illness” have shorter life expectancies, the implication from psychiatry is always that it is the “illness” causing the increase in mortality.

    “…. are associated with an increased risk for several physical diseases, including obesity, dyslipidemia, diabetes mellitus, thyroid disorders, hyponatremia; cardiovascular, respiratory tract, gastrointestinal, haematological, musculoskeletal and renal diseases, as well as movement and seizure disorders.”

    Of course psychiatrists, indeed all doctors, have known this from the beginning. It’s right on the drug store pamphlets for the drugs even. Could it even be possible that a doctor be competent, while not knowing or unable to acknowledge that obesity, diabetes, respiratory diseases, etc would increase mortality in patients and shorten their life expectancy? I think the term is called Cognitive Dissonance. And much of psychiatry appears to be drowning in it.

    • Or correction: Implication usually being that the “mental illness” and SMOKING are the cause of the increase. I’ve read a couple of articles as well blaming “sedentary” lifestyles in those with “severe mental illness”, without acknowledging that sedation/somnolence is a common side effect of the neuroleptic and “mood stabilizer” drugs routinely prescribed to those people.

      And since the biggest increase in mortality has been in the last 20-30 years, and during this time the cost of living has gone up drastically while SSI keeps increasing by pennies a year… how are all these “SMI” patients buying cigarettes? That’s like 5-8 dollars a day, if they are a one-pack a day smoker. SSI is 733 dollars a month, or roughly 24 dollars a day.

      Besides, smoking decreases life expectancy by 10-12 years, not the 15-25 that we are seeing today in “SMI” people.

  4. We told you…
    It’s pretty obvious to anyone who has ever taken these drugs that they’re poison’s. And if it isn’t it’s probably because they’re still taking them so they can’t think straight (or not at all).

  5. Being a bit wimpish with there results arent they? “” In general, adverse effects on physical health are greatest with antipsychotics, followed by mood stabilizers, tricyclic antidepressants and newer antidepressants.”””” They always seem to think newere is better, when that is anything but the truth, the newer have patents, and make the manufacturer more money..
    1. All ADs cause harm and illness, both psychologicial and physical.
    2. Newere antidepressants are proving worse than the old tricyclics.
    3. Women taken antidepressants during pregnancy are 7 times more likely to have a deformed baby. (That does not take into account miscarriages caused by these drugs).

    Oh well, if one “researcher” is brave enough to say something, even in such a wimpish way, at least that is a start. Maybe more people are finally brave enough to say the emperor “Merck, et al” truly have no clothes.