New research center at Haukeland University Hospital will find out why patients with serious psychotic disorders have a life expectancy that is 15-20 years less than ordinary people

Why do people with serious mental disorders have a 15–20-year shorter life span and a significantly lower quality of life than most people? 

The new Mohn research center for Psychotic disorders in Bergen will find out and do something about this. With the aim of better treatment, the Trond Mohn Foundation and Helse Bergen are contributing resources equivalent to NOK 58 million for the research, of which the foundation contributes NOK 25 million over five years. 

Psychotic disorders, which include schizophrenia and bipolar disorders, affect between 1-2 percent of the population, and at least 30,000 people live with such disorders in Norway. Today’s treatment methods have proven to be insufficient for a large subgroup of patients, which requires new approaches in the field. 

Combat excess mortality  

-Everyone talks about the dramatic excess mortality in patients with psychotic disorders, but few do anything about it. This is what we want to change, says Erik Johnsen, senior consultant at the Psychiatric Clinic at Haukeland University Hospital (HUS), and professor at the Department of Clinical Medicine, UiB. He will lead the new center together with professors Vidar M. Steen from the Department of Clinical science, UiB and Ingrid Melle from Oslo University Hospital (OUS). 

– We are grateful for the generous contribution from the foundation and we are sure that this funding will benefit the patient group, says Johnsen. 

 Better treatment for longer and better lives 

 The new centre’s aim is to reduce excess mortality and improve treatment outcomes for psychotic disorders by increasing the use of the best knowledge-based treatment as well as interventions that reduce the risk of early death. The research goals include improving drug treatment methods and reducing risk factors for both physical disorders and suicide. 

– This initiative is an important milestone in the fight for better treatment of mental disorders and can potentially extend many lives through a better understanding and treatment of mental disorders, says Anne Alnes Blindheim, head of Psychiatric Research with Experience Skills (PEK). 

 Strong research collaboration for the benefit of patients 

With an already established expertise based on a successful ten-year research collaboration from the NORMENT Center of excellence, the new center has a solid platform to achieve its goals. Good collaboration with the Mohn Research Center for Regenerative Medicine at UiB, OUS and the host institution Haukeland University Hospital will also be decisive for the centre’s success. 

The research center will be located at the Psychiatric Clinic in Sandviken and will start on the 1st of March 2024. The center will take advantage of the co-located infrastructure at the Psychiatric Clinic (PK), Helse Bergen, to promote the integration of clinical practice and research. The user perspective is also firmly rooted in the centre. 

According to the Trond Mohn foundation ´s CEO Anne Marie Haga, this is a venture entirely in the spirit of the foundation: -An important societal challenge is addressed through collaboration between outstanding professional environments in Bergen, Norway and internationally. We congratulate the research team and look forward to following the development of the new centre.