Can adjustment disorder and depressive episode be distinguished? Results from ODIN.
BACKGROUND
No large-scale epidemiological study has included adjustment disorders (AD) for consideration yet it is considered to be a common psychiatric diagnosis.


METHODS
Using a two stage screening method, those above a threshold score for possible caseness on the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), were interviewed using SCAN to identify those with depressive episode and AD. Variables that might distinguish AD from depressive episode were examined.


RESULTS
The prevalence of AD was extremely low with one centre having no cases. Finland, the country with the highest prevalence, only achieved a frequency of 0.8% and 1%, respectively, for urban and rural sites. Logistic regression failed to identify any variables that independently differentiated AD from depressive episode. Findings relating to severity of symptoms using BDI were robust.


CONCLUSIONS
The small sample size might have contributed to a failure to identify distinguishing features between AD and other disorders.


CONCLUSIONS
Reasons for the failure of even robust results, such as BDI severity, to distinguish AD from depressive episode are considered of which problems in conceptualising AD are the most likely. Further studies are required.
Casey
Patricia
P
Department of Psychiatry, Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland. apsych@mater.ie
Maracy
Mohammad
M
Kelly
Brendan D
BD
Lehtinen
Ville
V
Ayuso-Mateos
Jose-Luis
JL
Dalgard
Odd S
OS
Dowrick
Christopher
C
D000275:Adjustment Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010551:Personality; D010555:Personality Inventory; D015995:Prevalence; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data