title: Adjustment disorder in children and adolescents.
abstract: The literature on adjustment disorder in children and adolescents is reviewed to evaluate the empirical and conceptual basis of this disorder as defined in DSM-III-R, and to determine whether revisions, are indicated in DSM-IV. Existing studies suggest that adjustment disorder is a disorder of high prevalence in all settings, which carries significant morbidity and poor outcome in children and adolescents. Problems identified with the DSM-III-R definition include low reliability, the predominance of mixed rather than discrete symptom presentations in children and adolescents, and the persistence of symptoms in excess of 6 months in a significant number of cases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY 10029.
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Newcorn
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Strain
mesh_terms: D000275:Adjustment Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D000293:Adolescent; D001601:Bereavement; D002648:Child; D002667:Child Reactive Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D010552:Personality Assessment