ADJUSTMENT DISORDER

ADJUSTMENT DISORDER

• Disorders characterized by emotional responses to stressful events like financial problems, medical illness, relationship problems or death of a loved one.

Symptoms:

• Symptom complex includes anxiety & depressive symptoms.
• Depressed mood
• Worry
• Feeling of inability to cope.
• Disturbance in individuals daily functioning.

Differential diagnosis:

• Depression – 
  • Depression follows negative life event.
  • Differentiated by delineating uncomplicated bereavement/grief reactions.
• In uncomplicated bereavement:
  • Symptoms & dysfunctions developing are within expected limits.
• In adjustment disorder:
  • Symptoms & dysfunction are beyond expectable reaction to stressor.

Other differential diagnosis:

• PTSD
• Brief psychotic disorders.
• Diagnoses should be given precedence if their diagnostic criterion are met, irrespective of stressors presence.

Treatment:

• Psychotherapy – Treatment of choice.
  • Supportive psychotherapy commonly used.
• Medications –
  • Adjuvant to psychotherapy.
  • Antidepressants & antianxiety drugs.

Don’t Forget to Solve all the previous Year Question asked on ADJUSTMENT DISORDER
Click Here to Start Quiz