Am J Psychiatry 1995; 152:459-461
Copyright © 1995 by American Psychiatric Association
Adjustment disorder as an admission diagnosis
WM Greenberg, DN Rosenfeld and EA Ortega
Division of Psychiatry, Bergen Pines County Hospital, Paramus, NJ 07652.
OBJECTIVE: The authors' goal was to study subtyping, demographic variables,
suicidality, diagnostic stability, and 2-year rehospitalization outcome for
inpatients given the admission diagnosis of adjustment disorder at their
institution. METHOD: They reviewed the charts of 54 adolescent and 102
adult inpatients given the diagnosis of adjustment disorder at admission
and compared them with the charts of 156 matched comparison subjects given
other admission diagnoses. RESULTS: Adolescents and adults with adjustment
disorder had significantly shorter index hospitalizations and more
presenting suicidality than the comparison subjects. Adults but not
adolescents with adjustment disorder had significantly fewer psychiatric
readmissions and fewer rehospitalization days 2 years after discharge than
comparison subjects, and more adults with adjustment disorder had diagnoses
of comorbid substance use disorder. Forty percent of the patients admitted
with the diagnosis of adjustment disorder were discharged with different
diagnoses. Only 18% of the inpatients with adjustment disorder who were
rehospitalized were given that diagnosis at readmission. CONCLUSIONS:
Adjustment disorder diagnoses were associated with suicidality, shorter
lengths of stay, and, in adults, more substance use disorders and fewer
rehospitalizations.
