Adjustment disorders are mental health conditions that often follow a traumatic or stressful event or set of occurrences. The presence of these disorders can affect people’s functioning and symptoms should be taken seriously. Take this quiz to determine your risk of having an adjustment disorder.
Adjustment disorders are trauma and stressor-related mental conditions. The disorders develop due to adverse events, such as the death of a loved one, or common life-changing occurrences like changing jobs. Adjustment disorders involve grief or sadness that exceeds normal amounts following the stress-causing impactful event. A person with this type of disorder has faces challenges in coping with their altered life and may experience difficulty functioning in society.
Adjustment disorders, which are also called stress response syndrome, can affect any person following a life-changing event. The conditions can involve numerous symptoms, including:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Disturbance of conduct
The prevalence of these disorders fluctuates due to their presence depending on a traumatic or stressful occurrence. Adjustment disorders aren’t known to develop independently of a significant event or change to one’s life. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-5) reports that between 5 and 20 percent of patients in outpatient mental health treatment have an adjustment disorder.
There is a difference between experiencing normal grief or sadness and having an adjustment disorder. However, identifying the presence of a mental condition can be difficult, which is why we have created this self-assessment.
