What is Adjustment Disorder?

This video describes adjustment disorder. Adjustment disorder is defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM). The first criterion we see with adjustment disorder is that behavioral or emotional symptoms occur in response to an identifiable stressor. The onset of these disturbances or this disturbance must occur within three months of that identified stressor. The disturbance must cause clinically significant symptoms (second criterion), which is indicated by one or both of these following criteria: marked distress that's out of proportion to the severity or intensity of the stressor taking into account cultural factors and external context and/or significant impairment. The third criterion is the disturbance does not meet the full criteria of another mental health disorder and it's not simply an exacerbation of an existing mental health disorder. The fourth criteria is that the presentation is not normal bereavement. The fifth criterion indicates that if the stressor terminates that we shouldn't see symptoms lasting more than six months. Adjustment disorder has six specifiers: depressed mood, anxiety, mixed anxiety and depressed mood, disturbance of conduct, mixed disturbance of emotions and conduct, and unspecified. so six specifiers for adjustment disorder and the DSM indicates some situations where adjustment disorder may including the termination of a romantic relationship, marital problems, living in a crime-ridden neighborhood, going to school, getting married, retiring, and failing to meet occupational goals.