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Difference Between Adjustment Disorder and Acute Stress Disorder
Adjustment Disorder and Acute Stress Disorder are two conditions that are often misunderstood and confused with each other. While both these disorders occur due to an individual’s inability to cope with stressful situations, they differ in their duration, severity, and symptomology. In this essay, we will explore the key differences between Adjustment Disorder and Acute Stress Disorder.
What is Adjustment Disorder?
Adjustment Disorder is a type of stress-related disorder that occurs when an individual is unable to cope with a stressful event or a change in their life. This condition can occur due to a variety of reasons, such as financial problems, relationship issues, loss of a loved one, or a significant life change like moving to a new city or starting a new job. The symptoms of Adjustment Disorder may include feelings of sadness, anxiety, irritability, and changes in behavior. These symptoms typically appear within three months of the stressful event and can last up to six months.
The types of stressors in a diagnosis of adjustment disorder can be almost anything commonly experienced, such as a divorce or death of a loved one. Also, the stressor can be a single event like moving away for college, or can also be multiple stressors as in marital problems and losing a job at the same time. The emotional and behavioral reactions are diverse and are typically described as maladaptive.
Symptoms may also include depressed mood and anxiety but do not meet criteria for other mental disorders. These symptoms are usually not severe but disproportionate to the severity or intensity of the stressor. Even so, there is still a marked reduction in the person’s functioning. For this diagnosis, symptoms must begin within three months of the onset of the stressor. These symptoms may also last up to six months after the stressor has ceased or if the person has already adapted to the situation.
What is Acute Stress Disorder?
Acute Stress Disorder is a more severe form of stress-related disorder that occurs when an individual experiences a traumatic event. This condition is commonly seen in individuals who have experienced or witnessed a serious accident, natural disaster, or violent crime. The symptoms of Acute Stress Disorder may include re-experiencing the traumatic event through flashbacks, nightmares, or intrusive thoughts, avoidance of stimuli associated with the event, and increased anxiety and arousal. These symptoms typically appear within one month of the traumatic event and can last up to four weeks.
Events that cause acute stress disorder are traumatic even to witnesses of such events. These traumatic stressors include war and combat, rape and violence or natural disasters. People who have acute stress disorder usually re-experience the traumatic event in the form of unwanted but intrusive thoughts and memories, dreams, nightmares or flashbacks that cause marked psychological and physiological distress.
Resemblances of any form to the traumatic event also cause distress. A person with acute stress disorder is also understandably averse or overly avoidant of these stimuli. Symptoms also include changes in thinking and mood such as feelings of shame, doubt and anger as well as inaccurate blame of self or others. Another group of symptoms is hyper-arousal which includes hypervigilance, excessive startle response aggression and recklessness.
Differences: Adjustment Disorder and Acute Stress Disorder
The significant difference between the two disorders is the severity of their symptoms. While Adjustment Disorder symptoms are usually mild to moderate and do not significantly impair an individual’s daily functioning, Acute Stress Disorder symptoms can be severe and can disrupt an individual’s ability to perform their daily activities.
Moreover, the treatment approach for Adjustment Disorder and Acute Stress Disorder also differs. Adjustment Disorder is usually treated with psychotherapy, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy or supportive therapy, to help individuals develop coping strategies and improve their overall functioning. In contrast, Acute Stress Disorder is treated with a combination of psychotherapy and medication, such as antidepressants or anti-anxiety medications.
The following table highlights the major differences between Adjustment Disorder and Acute Stress Disorder −
Characteristics |
Adjustment Disorder |
Acute Stress Disorder |
|---|---|---|
Definition |
Adjustment disorder is the persistent maladaptive psychological reaction to an identifiable stressful event in a person’s life. |
Acute stress disorder is severe psychological and physiological reactions to a traumatic event characterized by reliving traumatic events, avoidance, changes in thinking and mood and hyper-arousal. |
Type of stressor |
The stressors in adjustment disorder can be anything and are commonly experienced such as divorce, death of a loved one, or loss of a job. |
The stressors that cause acute stress disorder are usually traumatic as in war, rape and violence, and natural disasters. |
Severity of psychological reaction |
Psychological reactions in adjustment disorder are considered less severe, diverse reactions, disproportionate to the intensity of the stressor and causing dysfunction. |
Psychological and physiological reactions in acute stress disorder are more severe, usually limited to fear and anxiety, recurring and easily triggered. |
Symptoms |
Symptoms of adjustment disorder include maladaptive emotions and behavior, impairment in social and occupational functioning as well as depressed mood and anxiety. |
The symptoms are often severe, recurrent and easily triggered, characterized by intrusive memories, avoidance of related stimuli and changes in mood and arousal that impair daily functioning |
Development of symptoms |
Symptoms for adjustment disorder occur within three months of the stressful event and may last up to six months after the stressor. |
Symptoms of acute stress disorder occur within three days to one month of the traumatic event and persistence of symptoms beyond one month changes diagnosis to post-traumatic stress disorder. |
Prevalence |
Adjustment disorder is more common among children and adolescents, and equally common among men and women. |
Acute stress disorder is more common among women, those with prior trauma and mental disorder as well as those with high neuroticism a high startle response. |
Conclusion
In conclusion, while both Adjustment Disorder and Acute Stress Disorder are stress-related disorders, they differ in their duration, severity, symptomatology, and treatment approach.
Adjustment Disorder occurs due to an individual’s inability to cope with a stressful event or a change in their life, and the symptoms last up to six months.
Acute Stress Disorder, on the other hand, occurs due to a traumatic event, and the symptoms last up to four weeks. It is crucial to understand the differences between these two disorders to ensure that individuals receive the appropriate treatment and support they need to manage their symptoms and improve their overall well-being.
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