Adjustment disorders: The Daily PANCE Blueprint

Home Adjustment disorders: The Daily PANCE Blueprint

Adjustment disorders: The Daily PANCE Blueprint

A 7-year-old male is brought to your clinic by his mom. The mom says that he has been more depressed, has been acting out in anger, and just hasn’t been himself over the course of the past 2 months. It's impacting his life at school and home. Her son did just change schools recently and she started noticing the behavioral issues after the change. Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis?

A. Acute stress disorder
B. Adjustment disorder
C. Oppositional defiant disorder
D. Attention deficit disorder
E. Avoidant personality disorder

Answer and topic summary

The answer is B. Adjustment disorder

Adjustment disorder is characterized by an emotional and/or behavioral reaction to an identifiable stressor that causes a disproportionate response. Some examples of stressors include divorce, changes in job, going away for school, retirement, etc. It’s important to note that the stressor is not life-threatening. Per DSM-V criteria, the response occurs within 3 months of the stressor onset and must stop within 6 months of the stressor terminating. It must cause significant impairment to be coined a disorder. Treatment is psychotherapy.

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Smarty PANCE Content Blueprint Review:

Covered under ⇒ PANCE Blueprint Psychiatry ⇒ Trauma and stressor-related disorders ⇒ Adjustment disorders

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