Adjustment Disorders

An adjusment disorder is the occurrence of mental or behavioral symptoms in reaction to an identifiable stressor happening within 3 months of the beginning of the stressor.

These symptoms or behaviors are clinically substantial as confirmed by either of the following:

• Noticeable distress that is in excess of what would be predicted from contact with the stressor.

• Major impairment in social or work-related functioning.

• The stress-related disruption does not match the criteria for another condition and is not just an exacerbation of an preexisting disorder.

• The symptoms do not represent Bereavement.

• As soon as the stressor has ended, the symptoms do not continue for more than an extra 6 months.

Adjustment disorders are organized in several subtypes based on the predominant symptoms.

• With Depressed Mood: when the prevalent symptoms such as depressed feelings, tearfulness, or thoughts of hopelessness.

• With Anxiety: when the predominant symptoms are anxiety, worry, or jitteriness, or, in youngsters, worries of separating from major attachment figures.

• With Mixed Anxiety and Depressed Mood: when the main symptoms are a combination of depression and anxiety.

• With Disturbance of Conduct: when the main symptom is a disruption in conduct in which there is abuse of the rights of others.

• With Mixed Disturbance of Emotions and Conduct: when the predominant symptoms are both emotional (e.g., anxiety, depression) with a disturbance of conduct.

Diagnostic criteria summarized from:

American Psychiatric Association. (1994). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, fourth edition. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.