psychiatric disorders
Adjustment Disorders
Diagnosis of Adjustment Disorder
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition, Text Revision (DSM-5-TR) criteria According to DSM-5-TR criteria, patients must have ( Diagnosis reference ) Emotional or behavioral symptoms within 3 months of having been exposed to a stressor Symptoms must be clinically significant as shown by one or both of the following: Marked distress that is out of proportion to the stressor (taking cultural and other factors into consideration) The symptoms significantly impair social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) (PTSD) and Adjustment disorders are frequently comorbid with other conditions, and the DSM-5-TR generally encourages inclusion of all pertinent diagnoses. For example, if a person meets criteria for adjustment disorder as well as Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) , both diagnoses should be made. If on the other hand, the patient has developed depressive symptoms in the aftermath of a stressor, the clinician is encouraged to look at specific diagnostic criteria and make a judgment as to whether it might be more accurate and clinically useful to diagnose the patient with only the major depression. The term adjustment disorder has often been misused by clinicians as a general term for a clinical picture that is nonspecific and relatively mild. As a result, the DSM-5-TR has included adjustment disorder in the chapter on trauma to highlight the fact that the symptoms must be in response to a stressor. Nevertheless, the clinical picture is often heterogenous (eg, with symptoms of anxiety, depression, and/or conduct issues), and the diagnosis remains one of the most common in both inpatient and outpatient settings. While such heterogeneity may be clinically reasonable, it complicates the approach to treatment. 1.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition, Text Revision (DSM-5-TR). American Psychiatric Association Publishing, Washington, DC, pp 319-322. 