Dynamics of Mental Health Disorder Prevalence in Himachal Pradesh, India

Background Mental health disorders contribute substantially to the global disease burden. Himachal Pradesh, with its geographic and sociocultural diversity, faces unique challenges in addressing these conditions. Objective To examine temporal trends in the incidence and severity of mental health disorders across 2014, 2022, and 2023. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted using patient registers from the Department of Psychiatry, Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital, Shimla. Patients were classified by diagnostic category and severity (low, moderate, high). Year-wise differences were tested using the Kruskal Wallis test, and chi-square tests were used to assess associations with disorder type and severity (p < .01). Results Significant year-wise differences were observed for schizophrenia and psychotic disorders, substance-related disorders, sleep disorders, mood disorders, and anxiety and stress disorders (p < .01). The overall disorder burden also varied significantly across years ( χ ²  = 57.631, p < . 001). Severity analysis revealed a rising trend, with high-severity cases increasing from 20.2% in 2014 to 28.5% in 2023. Substance-related disorders rose sharply from 14.9% in 2014 to 44.8% in 2023, while miscellaneous disorders increased steadily from 24.0% to 41.0%. Neurodevelopmental, somatic, developmental, behavioural, and cognitive disorders showed relative stability. Conclusion The findings indicate substantial shifts in both the prevalence and severity of mental health disorders in Himachal Pradesh, with sharp increases in substance-related, mood, anxiety, and high-severity cases. These results underscore the need for context-specific interventions, strengthened service delivery, and policies prioritizing early detection and management.