Life-years lost associated with mental illness: a cohort study of beneficiaries of a South African medical insurance scheme.

Our study demonstrates a considerable burden of premature death from natural causes among a relatively small group of people with certain mental disorders. Our findings support recommendations to implement interventions for prevention, early detection, and appropriate treatment of physical comorbidities among people with these disorders. To reduce excess mortality from unnatural causes among men with bipolar and substance use disorders, we recommend suicide prevention and substance use treatment programmes.