Adjustment Disorders

A person with adjustment disorder often experiences feelings of depression or anxiety or combined depression and anxiety. As a result, that person may act out behaviorally against the "rules and regulations" of family, work, or society. In some people, an adjustment disorder may manifest itself in such behaviors as skipping school, unexpected fighting, recklessness, or legal problems. Other people, however, instead of acting out, may tend to withdraw socially and isolate themselves during their adjustment problems. Still others may not experience behavioral disturbances, but will begin to suffer from physical illness. If someone is already suffering from a medical illness, that condition may worsen during the time of the adjustment disorder. People in the midst of adjustment disorders often do poorly in school or at work. Very commonly they begin to have more difficulty in their close, personal relationships.

Listed below are some of the characteristics associated with adjustment disorders:  

A person with an adjustment disorder with depressed mood may have mostly a depressed mood, hopeless feelings, and crying spells.

A person with an adjustment disorder with anxiety would experience anxious feelings, nervousness, and worry.

Someone with an adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood would, obviously, have a mixture of anxious and depressed feelings.

An individual with an adjustment disorder with disturbance of conduct may act out inappropriately. This person may act out against society, skip school, or begin to have trouble with the police.

A person with an adjustment disorder with mixed disturbance of emotions and conduct would have a mixture of emotional and conduct problems.

Do adjustment disorders affect males, females, or both?

In the United States the same number of males and females experience the various adjustment disorders.


At what age can an adjustment disorder appear? How often does adjustment disorder appear in the community?  

Adjustment disorder is very common in the United States. More than five percent (5%) of all persons have some type of adjustment disorder.Adjustment disorders can occur at any age. People are particularly vulnerable during normal transitional periods such as adolescence, mid-life, and late life.