Social adjustment disorder, An adjustment disorder is described as an emotional or behavioural response to a traumatic incident or change in a person’s life that is deemed maladaptive or not a healthy response to the event or change.
The reaction must occur within three months of the specified stressful event or change, although it can remain for longer if the stressor persists. A family move, a parental divorce or separation, the loss of a pet, or the birth of a sibling or sister may be the identifying traumatic event or transition in a child’s or adolescent’s life.
An adjustment reaction may be triggered by a sudden sickness or a limitation in a child’s life due to a persistent disease.
Children and teenagers are prone to adjustment problems. They affect both men and women equally. While adjustment problems affect people of all cultures, the stresses and symptoms may differ depending on the culture.
Adjustment problems can affect people of all ages. However, it is thought that the disease has distinct features in children and adolescents than it does in adults.
There are differences in the symptoms that people have, the severity and length of those symptoms, and the result.
Adolescent adjustment disorder symptoms are more behavioural, such as acting out, but adult adjustment disorder symptoms are more depressed.
Risk Factors and Causes
Stress-related adjustment problems are a result of this response. Between the stressful incident and the reaction, there is no single direct reason. Temperament, previous experiences, vulnerability, and coping abilities vary widely across children and adolescents.
Their developmental stage and the capacity of their support system to satisfy their individual stress demands are two elements that may influence how they react to a given stress. Stressors differ in terms of length, severity, and impact.
There is no evidence to show that adjustment problems are caused by a single biological component.
Types and Symptoms
In all adjustment disorders, the stressor response seems to be more than usual, or the response severely impairs social, vocational, or educational performance. Adjustment disorder is divided into six subgroups based on the severity of the primary symptoms.
The most frequent symptoms of each kind of adjustment disorder are listed below. However, each kid or teenager may have distinct symptoms:
Anxiety condition accompanied by a sad mood. Among the signs and symptoms are:
- Depressed state of mind
- Tearfulness
- Feelings of despondency
Anxiety-related adjustment disorder. Among the signs and symptoms are:
- Nervousness
- Worry\Jitteriness
- Fear of being cut off from important connection figures
Anxiety and depression are symptoms of adjustment disorder.
The symptoms of both of the aforesaid categories (depressed mood and anxiety) are present.
Conduct disorder with adjustment disorder.
There are just behavioural signs present.
Adjustment disorder with mixed emotional and behavioural disturbances.
There are symptoms from each of the subtypes listed above (depressed mood, anxiety, and conduct).
Social adjustment disorder
There are reactions to stressful situations that do not fall into one of the categories listed above. Social retreat or inhibitions to usually expected activities are examples of reactions (for example, school or work).
Adjustment disorders might have symptoms that are similar to those of other medical or mental illnesses. Always seek a diagnosis from your child’s or adolescent’s health care practitioner.
Tests and Diagnosis of Social adjustment disorder
Following a complete assessment and discussion with the child or teenager as well as the parents, a child and adolescent psychologist or a certified mental health professional generally diagnoses an adjustment problem in children and adolescents.
During the interview, a thorough personal history of growth, life events, emotions, behaviours, and the indicated stressful event are gathered.
Read also: What Is an Adjustment Disorder?
Read also: Adjustment disorder in children
