Anyone who struggles with a mental illness already faces numerous challenges in life. And now, recent international research has shown that the mentally ill are up to six times more likely to die in an accident than the general population. If you have yet to seek treatment with a Costa Mesa therapist for your condition, doing so promptly could be life-saving.
Researchers from Lund University in Sweden and Stanford University in California studied 6.9 million adults over the age of 20 living in Sweden in 2001. 9.4% of these people had a psychiatric diagnosis. During the eight year period in which they were studied, 22,419 people—26% of the mentally ill people in the study— died of accidental deaths including falls, transportation accidents and accidental poisoning.
While many factors likely contributed to these deaths, the researchers believe that the poor judgment, risk-taking behavior, poor concentration and sleep disturbance associated with mental illness were factors. While more attention needs to be given to this phenomenon, getting proper treatment is essential for lowering all risks associated with any mental illness. Contact Dr. Tucker, your Costa Mesa therapist to set up a consultation if you have any mental health concerns.
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