In plain words
Adjustment disorder is a mental health condition. Emotional distress starts within about three months of a clear stressor. The stressor might be a new baby, a move, a job change, or a loss. The distress can include sadness, worry, or irritability. It often makes daily tasks harder. It is not a character flaw, and it is not the same as depression, though the two can overlap. Symptoms usually ease within six months after the stressor ends. Support from a therapist, a peer group, or a provider can help some people. If you are having thoughts of harming yourself, call or text now.
The deeper version
Adjustment disorder is defined in DSM-5 (American Psychiatric Association, 2013) as emotional or behavioral symptoms in response to an identifiable stressor, starting within three months, that are out of proportion to the stressor or significantly impair functioning, and that do not meet criteria for another disorder. Symptoms are expected to resolve within six months after the stressor or its consequences end. Prevalence in perinatal samples is not well established, because the category is often used as a residual diagnosis. The main controversy is whether it captures a distinct syndrome or serves as a catch-all for subthreshold depression and anxiety. ICD-11 (World Health Organization, 2019) describes it with a similar time frame and core features.
Where it comes up
- Postpartum depressionPostpartum: Mind
- Matrescence: becoming a motherPostpartum: Mind
- Going back to work: the feelings partPostpartum: Mind
- Grieving while postpartumPostpartum: Mind
What mothers here say about adjustment disorder
No one has posted under this term yet.
Sources
- American Psychiatric Association — DSM-5, adjustment disorders criteria (2013)
- World Health Organization — International Classification of Diseases, 11th revision, adjustment disorder (2019)