The Increasing Predominance of Emergency Hospitalizations for Neurotic and Stress-Related Disorders in Brazil (2015-2024)

ObjectiveNeurotic, stress-related, and somatoform disorders are important contributors to psychiatric morbidity and healthcare utilisation.This study aimed to characterise the epidemiological profile and temporal trends of hospitalisations for neurotic, stress-related, and somatoform disorders in Brazil between 2015 and 2024. MethodsThis retrospective ecological time-series study analysed hospitalisations recorded in the Brazilian Unified Health System for which the primary diagnosis corresponded to ICD-10 codes F40-F48.Data were stratified by sex, age group, geographic region, and type of admission.Temporal trends were assessed using linear regression, and group differences were evaluated using non-parametric tests, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05. ResultsA total of 29,908 hospitalisations were recorded during the study period.The annual number of hospitalisations increased by 94.0%, from 2,263 cases in 2015 to 4,391 cases in 2024.Emergency admissions accounted for 84.7% (n = 25,332) of all hospitalisations and increased by 151.7%, from 1,574 cases in 2015 to 3,962 cases in 2024, whereas elective admissions decreased by 37.7%.Overall hospitalisations showed a significant upward temporal trend (β = 203.2admissions/year; R² = 0.689; p = 0.003).The most pronounced increases were observed among females (β = 168.9admissions/year; p < 0.001) and individuals aged 20-29 years (β = 54.3 admissions/year; p = 0.002), with significant upward trends also observed in most geographic regions (p < 0.01). ConclusionsHospitalisations for neurotic, stress-related, and somatoform disorders increased substantially in Brazil between 2015 and 2024, primarily driven by the marked rise in emergency admissions, particularly among females and young adults.These findings highlight the need to strengthen outpatient and community-based mental healthcare, improve early identification and management of these disorders, and reduce potentially avoidable reliance on hospital-based and crisis-oriented care.