Adjustment disorder causes a person to feel depressed and anxiety or a combination of both. A person facing these characteristics thus ends up acting as a social misfit by avoiding the general rules and regulations in the society.
In other circumstances, one may completely withdraw from the normal social activities. Adjustment disorder may be more critical to a person who is already facing other physical illnesses.
If a student is affected by adjustment disorders, the performance of such a student in school will be very much affected negatively. This also has got an impact with the relationship they have with other people. Adjustment disorder affects persons of both sexes, and also any age, but the most vulnerable are those at the transition stages.
In looking at the adjustment disorder that comes because of depression, there are many studies that have been carried out to identify how this problem is caused, its effects, and how it can be treated. People with this problem experiences different symptoms, thus making it hard to be diagnosed and treated.
Because of this, many researches have been carried out to find out which is the most appropriate mode of treating this problem, and it has been found that the best treatment method is cognitive and behavior therapy.
Adjustment Disorder due to depression
Adjustment disorder due to depression is not a new phenomenon in the society, as this problem has been found to exist in many parts of the world (Mezzich & Raab, 1980).
Depression can be said take place in different emotional areas. In normal circumstances, depression can be found to be universal among the entire human race. Depression can be severe depending on how it occurs, and this can range from daily routines of sadness, to a psychiatric situation that can cause a person to take suicidal acts (Gotlib & Colby, 1987).
In a research done by Rodin & Voshart (1986), among the psychiatric problems that are found to be in hospitals, depression is a very common problem. About 75% of the hospitalized problems are found to be due to depression problems (Gotlib & Colby, 1987).
Many factors can lead to a person to be affected by adjustment disorder. The composition of an individual combined with the stressors can to a high degree cause adjustment disorders. In many cases, a person can take an issue to be a small irritant, yet turn out to be a major stressor on personal level and to the society.
It is found that the causes of adjustment disorder among children are similar to the adult causes. The vulnerability of the child can be of great important in determining the effect of adjustment disorder among children and adolescents.
The “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder forth edition (DSM IV), helps the clinicians identify the various depressive disorders”, (http://www.wowessays.com/dbase/ae5/csk11.shtml.). DSM IV has been used to find the adjustment disorder that occurs due to mild depression.
Therefore, the information contained in DSM IV helps the medical practitioners to identify what causes different depressions experienced by people and their effects. According to DSM IV, adjustment disorders can be caused by single or multiple stressors.
This can be either a recurrent or continuous event. This can affect a single person or it can affect the entire family. Rodin & Voshart (1986) agreed with the DSM IV that adjustment disorders are caused by stressors that manifest themselves three months after the stressors sets in.
A lot of information is contained in DSM IV on the adjustment disorders that occur because of depression, and after fully confirming the symptoms, it is important for the relevant cognitive therapy to be undertaken.
Murphy et al (1986) conducted a study that found out that the use of pharmacotherapy in the treatment of adjustment disorder was as effective as using cognitive therapy. However, the study that was conducted by Kovacs, Rush, Beck & Hollon (1981) concluded that cognitive therapy was a better treatment method than pharmacotherapy.
Frank, Capenter & Kupfer (1988) carried out a study to find out how gender influenced the treatment of adjustment disorder, and they found out that women took up therapy more than men. However, the respond to therapy has been found out to be good for both male and females. Many researches have concluded that the best methods used to treat different kinds of adjustment disorders is the use of therapy (Gotlib & Colby, 1987).
Conclusion
Looking at various studies, adjustment disorders can occur at any age, among all sexes, and it can have various forms, that can range from simple to mild form that can even make a victim commit suicide. DSM IV has identified adjustment disorder caused by depression being a mild form and which can possibly be treated by therapeutic activities.
Cognitive therapy has been shown through various researches that it is an important form of therapy in the treatment of adjustment disorder.
However, few studies have been widely carried out that concerns diagnosing adjustment disorder, especially with concerns to controlled treatment, but so far, the used diagnosis and treatment is important. Hence there is need to carry out these studies extensively so that proper diagnosis and treatment can be decided.
Reference:
Adjustment Disorder with Depressed Mood. Retrieved on June 8, 2009 from http://www.wowessays.com/dbase/ae5/csk11.shtml.
Frank, E., Carpenter, L.L., & Kupfer, D.J., (1988) Sex differences in recurrent depression: are there any that are significant? American Journal of Psychiatry. 145 41-45.
Gotlib, I.H., & Colby, C. A., (1987). Treatment of Depression an Interpersonal Systems Approach. New York: Pergamon Press,
Kovacs, M., Rush, A.J., Beck, A.T., & Hollon, S.D., (1981) Depressed outpatients treated with cognitive therapy or pharmacotherapy a one-year follow-up. Archives of General Psychiatry. 38 33-39
Mezzich, J.E., & Raab, E.S., (1980) Depressive symptomatology across the Americas. Archives of General Psychiatry. 37 818-823.
Murphy, G. E., Simons, A.D., Wetzel, R.D., & Lustman, P.J., (1984) Cognitive therapy and pharmacotherapy singly and together in the treatment of depression. Achieves of General Psychiatry. 41 33-41.
Rodin, G., & Voshart, K., (1986) Depression in the medically ill. American Journal of Psychiatry. 143 696-705.
