The journal article, "Adjustment Disorders," by Dr. Tami D. Benton, Director of Clinical Services, Department of Psychiatry, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and Dr. Judith a Ifeagwu (2009), Research Assistant and Coordinator, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, explains that due to insufficient behavioral criteria for individuals with AD, validating this disorder proves problematic. AD, a subthreshold disorder, shares characteristics a number of other diagnostic groups as it falls "between defined disorders and problem level (V Code) diagnoses" (Benton & Ifeagwu, ¶ 4). In a number of studies, adjustment disorder with depressed mood depicts the most prevalent subtype of AD assigned. In adult medical settings, general hospitals report 70% of patients with AD experience comorbidity with other psychiatric diagnoses like affective disorders, anxiety disorders, personality disorder, and psychoactive substance abuse disorder.

Differential Diagnosis III

Patricia Casey (2009), University Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland, explains in...
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