Read article - Quotes Karen L. Fortuna, an assistant professor of psychiatry, in an article about investing in serious mental illnesses (SMI) such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and major depressive disorder. “The world has known about premature mortality in people with serious mental illness for almost a century. Despite millions of dollars in investment from the scientific community, the gap in lifespan in people with SMI and people without is widening,” Fortuna said.