Adjustment Disorders Among Kids and Teens
Adjustment disorders are among the most common diagnoses among children and adolescents.
A kid or teen may be diagnosed with an adjustment disorder if they have gone through a big life change and are struggling to adapt to it. This big life change may be a stressful event that made them feel a lack of control in an area of their life.
Sometimes, parents may miss the symptoms of an adjustment disorder because they did not view the life change as big, or stressful, but depending on the child or teen’s age, it may have been considered a big change to them.
Adjustment disorders are typically temporary, lasting 3-6 months depending on the situation.
It is still imperative to take the child’s or adolescent’s feelings seriously, regardless of how big or small you feel the event may be.
Any stressful event can lead to an adjustment disorder.
Some examples of big changes that may lead to an adjustment disorder are:
divorce
moving homes
changing schools
having a younger sibling
a divorced parent dating/ moving in with their partner
moving from in-person to virtual school (or vice versa)
a pet dying
a friend or family member moving away, and so much more
How do you know if your kid or teen is struggling with an adjustment disorder?
The trademark sign of an adjustment disorder is when a child or teen has an unusually strong behavioral or emotional reaction following any of the stressful events previously listed, within three months of it occurring. This reaction is not only unusually strong or disproportionate to the event, but also out of the ordinary for what is considered typical for them.
There are also different kinds of adjustment disorders:
Adjustment disorder with depressed mood
This type is categorized by feelings of hopelessness and lack of motivation within the reaction to the stressful event.
Adjustment disorder with anxiety
This type has symptoms of feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or worried following the stressful event they are struggling to adapt to. Kids may also struggle to separate from parents.
Adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood
This type is categorized by feeling both depressed and anxious following the stressful event.
Adjustment disorder with disturbance of conduct
This type involves symptoms of behavioral problems within the reaction to the stressful event.
Adjustment disorder with mixed disturbance of emotions and conduct
This type is categorized by symptoms that are a combination of depressed mood, anxiety, and behavioral issues.
Adjustment disorder unspecified
This type involves symptoms that don’t really fit into the other categories and can sometimes be hard to pin down. These may be physical symptoms, problems with relationships, or struggling in school.
Adjustment disorder may be common, but it is also very treatable. If you feel like your kid or teen may be struggling with adjustment disorder after reading this post, you will be happy to hear that therapy is a very successful way to treat it!
If you feel like your child could use some extra support following a stressful event, and want to seek therapy for them to help them adjust, call today to schedule a free, 15-minute phone consultation with one of our child or teen therapists!
