The predictive value of adjustment disorders: a follow-up study
- 1 May 1982
- journal article
- research article
- Published by American Psychiatric Association Publishing in American Journal of Psychiatry
- Vol. 139 (5) , 584-590
- https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.139.5.584
Abstract
A previous investigation explored the diagnosis of adjustment disorder and found it to have descriptive and face validity. This study of the status at 5 yr follow-up of 100 patients given this diagnosis strongly supports the validity of the category among adults but only partially among adolescents. Of the adults 79% were well at follow-up, with 8% having had an intervening problem. Comparable figures for the adolescents were 57% and 13%. Most adults who were ill developed either major depression or alcoholism. The adolescents illnesses included schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, major depression, bipolar disorder, antisocial personality, alcoholism and drug use disorder. Chronicity and behavioral symptoms were the strongest predictors of poor outcome.This publication has 2 references indexed in Scilit:
- Adjustment Disorders in Adolescents and AdultsArchives of General Psychiatry, 1980
- Undiagnosed Psychiatric Illness in AdolescentsArchives of General Psychiatry, 1978