Encyclopedia of Medicine | Adjustment Disorders

Definition

An adjustment disorder is a debilitating reaction, usually lasting less than six months, to a stressful event or situation. It is not the same thing as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which usually occurs in reaction to a life-threatening event and can be longer lasting.

Description

An adjustment disorder usually begins within three months of a stressful event, and ends within six months after the stressor stops. There are many different subtypes of adjustment disorders, including adjustment disorder with:

• depression
• anxiety
• mixed anxiety and depression
• conduct disturbances
• mixed disturbance of emotions and conduct
• unspecified

Adjustment disorders are very common and can...