Although schizotypal traits, such as anhedonia and aberrant perceptions, may increase the risk for schizophrenia-spectrum disorders, little is known about early-life characteristics that predict more pronounced schizotypal traits.

To examine whether birth size or several other early-life factors that have been previously linked with schizophrenia predict schizotypal traits in adulthood.

Participants of the Northern Finland 1966 Birth Cohort Study (n = 4976) completed a questionnaire on positive and negative schizotypal traits at the age of 31 years.

Lower placental weight, lower birth weight and smaller head circumference at 12 months predicted elevated positive schizotypal traits in women after adjusting for several confounders (P<0.02). Moreover, higher gestational age, lower childhood family socioeconomic status, undesirability of pregnancy, winter/autumn birth, higher birth order and maternal smoking during pregnancy predicted some augmented schizotypal traits in women, some in men and some in both genders.

The results point to similarities in the aetiology of schitzotypal traits and schizophrenia-spectrum disorders.

There are numerous instruments for screening for depression. A feasible screen is good at both recognising and predicting depression.

To study the ability of the Depression Scale and its items to recognise and predict a depressive episode.

A sample of patients attending primary care was examined in 1991–1992 and again 7 years later. The accuracy of the Depression Scale at baseline and at follow-up was tested against the Short Form of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI-SF) diagnosis of depression at follow-up. The sensitivity and specificity of the Depression Scale and its items were assessed.

Both baseline and follow-up Depression Scale scores were consistent with the CIDI–SF diagnoses. It was possible to find single items efficient at both recognising and predicting depression.

The Depression Scale is a useful screening instrument for depression, with both diagnostic and predictive validity.

There is an excess of death from natural causes among people with schizophrenia.

Schizophrenia and its treatment with neuroleptics were studied for their prediction of mortality in a representative population sample of 7217 Finns aged ⩾30 years.

A comprehensive health examination was carried out at baseline. Schizophrenia was determined using the Present State Examination and previous medical records.

During a 17-year follow-up, 39 of the 99 people with schizophrenia died. Adjusted for age and gender, the relative mortality risk between those with schizophrenia and others was 2.84 (95% CI 2.06–3.90), and was2.25 (95%CI1.61–3.15) after further adjusting for somatic diseases, blood pressure, cholesterol, body mass index, smoking, exercise, alcohol intake and education. The number of neuroleptics used at the time of the baseline survey showed a graded relation to mortality. Adjusted for age, gender, somatic diseases and other potential risk factors for premature death, the relative risk was 2.50 (95% CI1.46–4.30) per increment of one neuroleptic.

There is an urgent need to ascertain whether the high mortality in schizophrenia is attributable to the disorder itself or the antipsychotic medication.

The impact of clinically diagnosed mental disorders on mortality in the general population has not been established.

To examine mental disorders for their prediction of cause-specific mortality.

Mental disorders were determined using the 36-item version of the General Health Questionnaire and the Present State Examination in a nationally representative sample of 8000 adult Finns.

During the 17-year follow-up period 1597 deaths occurred. The presence of a mental disorder detected at baseline was associated with an elevated mortality rate. The relative risk in men was 1.6 (95% confidence interval 1.3–1.8) and in women, 1.4 (95% Cl 1.2–1.6). In men and women with schizophrenia the relative risks of death during the follow-up period were 3.3 (95% Cl 2.3–4.9) and 2.3 (95% Cl 1.3–3.8) respectively, compared with the rest of the sample. In both men and women with schizophrenia the risk of dying of respiratory disease was increased, but the risk of dying of cardiovascular disease was increased only in men with neurotic depression.

Schizophrenia and depression are associated with an elevated risk of natural and unnatural deaths.