Adjustment Disorder: Effects of Parental Conflict

Adjustment Disorder: Effects of Parental Conflict

Adjustment Disorder: Effects of Parental Conflict

Abstract

Adjustment disorder is a mental illness with symptoms of continuous sadness, low moods, hopelessness, worthlessness and physical symptoms causing unproductivity in work, school and social life. Adjustment disorder is triggered by a stressor which makes the patient unable to cope, causing mental disturbance. Adjustment disorder in children is prevalent especially due to dysfunctional families where the parents are frequently in conflicts, aggressive behavior and separation or depression.

The adjustment disorder is diagnosed according to the DSM-V criteria to differentiate the disorder from other mental diseases with similar symptoms or which co-occur with adjustment disorder. Once diagnosed, the patient is treated through a therapy approach to teach the child coping skills which will help deal with the symptoms and prevent the disorder from re-occurring in the future. The diagnostic paper details the symptoms in children from families with parental conflicts, causing the onset of the disorder and how the disease can be treated.

Adjustment Disorder: Effects of Parental Conflict

Diagnostic Criteria for Adjustment Disorder

Depressive symptoms occur in parents with young children which may affect the child’s development significantly. Children from homes with conflicts internalize the depression and show symptoms of anxiety and depression such as delinquency and aggression. Parental conflict directly affects the wellness of the children and indirectly through the adjustment of the custodial parent and the frequency of the interaction with the noncustodial parent. Adjustment disorder is the behavioral or emotional symptom expressed in response to an identifiable stressor occurring in three months of the onset of the stressor (Davis et al., 1998)

Diagnostic Criteria (DSM-V)

The children show loss of interest in daily activities including playing and education in more than two weeks.

The child shows depressed moods for more than two weeks- the child feels sad nearly all, feels empty or appears tearful.

Distracted social, educational and functional performance

Suicidal thoughts- The child expresses thoughts of suicide or death, or even makes a suicide plan

Loss of concentration- The child’s ability to concentrate or think decreases and the child becomes indecisive.

Feelings of Worthlessness and guilt- The child blames him/herself for her situation and expresses feelings of worthlessness.

Low energy levels and Fatigue- The child becomes physically inactive and shows symptoms of fatigue

Change in behavior and activity-The child shows retarded growth and psychomotor agitation

Sleep disruption- The child either sleeps less or more than normal; hypersomnia or insomnia respectively.

Significant change in appetite and thus body weight- Some children may eat more or experience loss of appetite.

Note: As proposed by DSM-V, symptoms of anxiety may indicate depression. The therapist should thus look out for symptoms like irrational worries, trouble relaxing, fear that awful things will happen, and feeling tense (U.S. Department of Health and Human