Types of Adjustment Disorder in Teens: How to Identify Adjustment Disorder Subtypes in Young Adults
The adolescent years are often full of ups and downs, which can be difficult for a teen to adapt to. Yet, if your child is struggling emotionally after a significant life change, you may be concerned that something deeper than “teenage moodiness” is going on.
Major life changes, like moving home, divorce, or school stress, can trigger a deep emotional response in adolescents. For many teens, this response is typical, but with time, they’re usually able to regulate their emotions. However, if these feelings persist or interfere with daily life, there may be something else at work under the surface, such as an adjustment disorder.
An adjustment disorder is a stress-related condition that can significantly impact a teen’s life, yet is frequently overlooked. Understanding the types of adjustment disorder teens may experience can help you recognize the early warning signs and better support their mental health.
A mental health professional can help you better understand adjustment disorder subtypes in young adults and the best route of treatment for your teen. This page can also work as a helpful guide for recognizing types of adjustment disorder in teens, as it explores:
- What an adjustment disorder is and how they can affect teens
- The six types of adjustment disorder youth may experience
- How to identify the type of adjustment disorder your teen may have
- Effective treatments for adjustment disorder
- Where to find professional help
What Is Adjustment Disorder?
When big life changes occur, it’s natural to react in some way. However, an adjustment disorder involves more than “normal” reactions to stress and change. Instead, it entails unhealthy or excessive responses that occur within three months of a major life event.1
In the following section, we take a closer look at the differences between typical responses to life transitions and those often seen in adjustment disorders.
“Normal” Stress Response vs. Adjustment Disorder
A normal stress response is a healthy reaction to big or unexpected changes. For instance, someone may feel symptoms like anxiety or overwhelm, but these are expected responses and often temporary. Once the stressful event is over, the person can recover and go back to their normal routines.
On the other hand, someone with an adjustment disorder has a much more intense and continuous reaction to a stressful event. This response appears out of proportion to the event itself and can severely interfere with the person’s daily functioning.
For example, a teen with an adjustment disorder may feel continuously anxious, depressed, hopeless, and unable to concentrate. Physical symptoms also commonly accompany an adjustment disorder, leading to issues with sleep, digestion, and pain.
Additionally, adjustment disorders typically last for up to six months. However, without effective treatment, they can evolve into a chronic adjustment disorder adolescents struggle with for an even longer time.
Types of Adjustment Disorders
There are six different types of adjustment disorder. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) details the classifications of each adjustment disorder adolescents may experience as:3
Adjustment disorder with depressed mood- Adjustment disorder with anxiety
- Adjustment disorder with anxiety and depressed mood
- Adjustment disorder with disturbance of conduct
- Adjustment disorder with mixed disturbance of emotions and conduct
- Adjustment disorder unspecified
These six subtypes will be explained in further detail later in the article. But first, it may be helpful to recognize the general signs of the conditions and the impacts they can have on a teen’s life.
Adjustment Disorder Symptoms in Teens
The symptoms of adjustment disorder encompass behavioral, emotional, physical, and cognitive changes that can lead to issues with daily functioning. The precise symptoms can depend on the specific types of adjustment disorder, but the following are general symptoms that can persist across all subtypes.
Behavioral Symptoms of Adjustment Disorder in Teens
Symptoms of an adjustment disorder primarily tend to show themselves in a teen’s behaviors. For example, they may:
- Act defiantly
- Fight with others, such as peers or family members
- Have difficulty controlling their impulses
- Skip school
Physical Signs of Teen Adjustment Disorder
Physical symptoms commonly occur with adjustment disorder in teens. Some of these main symptoms include:
- Body aches and pains
- Headaches
- Stomach aches
- Tremors
- Extreme tiredness
- Heart palpitations
Emotional Symptoms of Adjustment Disorder in Adolescents
The emotional symptoms of adjustment disorder in teens tend to manifest as:
- Anxiety
- Feeling depressed
- Hopelessness
- Agitation
Due to the multi-level impact of an adjustment disorder, the condition can have a serious impact on a teenager’s social development, educational performance, and relationships. Moreover, if this condition is not treated, it may continue to affect your teen’s daily functioning or potentially lead to other mental health conditions, such as anxiety or depression.4
As mentioned earlier, the symptoms can vary slightly between the types of adjustment disorder. To increase understanding of these symptoms, the next sections focus on the signs associated with each of the subtypes.
The Six Adjustment Disorder Subtypes Young Adults May Develop
Adjustment disorders essentially describe a group of symptoms that may develop as an excessive response to a stressful life event. As mentioned previously, the disorder typically develops within three months of a stressful event and resolves within six months. However, symptoms can vary depending on the subtype of the disorder.
The six adjustment disorders are classified by their main symptoms, which are outlined below.
Types of Adjustment Disorder and Symptoms
The symptoms of each adjustment disorder teens may develop are broken down into the six following categories:4,5
Adjustment disorder with depressed mood: The key symptoms of adjustment disorder with depression teenagers may develop include:
-
- Feeling sad, hopeless, or tearful
- Not enjoying activities or hobbies that were once pleasurable
- Experiencing ongoing fatigue
- Difficulty concentrating and remembering things
- Having problems sleeping
- Losing appetite
- Adjustment disorder with anxiety : In adjustment disorder with anxiety adolescents may exhibit the following signs:
- Nervousness
- Worry
- Overwhelm
- “Jitteriness”
- Fear of separation from parents or loved ones
- Trouble concentrating or remembering things
- Adjustment disorder with anxiety and depressed mood: In this subtype, adjustment disorder youth may show a combination of symptoms from the depression and anxiety subtypes.
- Adjustment disorder with disturbance of conduct: In adjustment disorder with conduct teens develop symptoms that often include:
- Fighting
- Acting defiantly or rebelliously
- Aggressive behavior
- Vandalism
- Destructive actions
- Truancy
- Reckless or impulsive behavior
- Adjustment disorder with mixed disturbance of emotions and conduct: In this subtype, emotional disturbance adjustment disorder teens typically display a combination of the symptoms from all of the above-mentioned subtypes (depression, anxiety, and conduct).
- Adjustment disorder unspecified: The unspecified type of adjustment disorder often includes symptoms and reactions that are enough to cause significant impairment but don’t clearly fit into one of the above subtypes.
Additionally, the symptoms of adjustment disorders may overlap with other mental health conditions, such as anxiety, depression, or conduct disorder. However, they are separated by the presence and timing of a distinct stressor.
If you are concerned that your teen may have an adjustment disorder, the next section may offer some important guidance. In it, you’ll discover how parents can identify adjustment disorder, when to reach out for professional help, and the importance of an accurate diagnosis.
Identifying Adjustment Disorder Type in Teens
If you are a parent worried about your teen’s reaction to a recent stressful event, you may wonder if they have an adjustment disorder. If the signs and symptoms discussed earlier seem to resonate with your child, then you may be correct. In this case, obtaining a diagnosis is vital for accessing the care your teen needs.
When seeking a diagnosis, it may be useful to reflect on the changes you have noticed in your child. For instance, you could note down whether you have observed any behavioral, physical, emotional, or cognitive changes in them compared to usual. Additionally, consider whether these changes are causing problems in their daily life, such as at school, at home, with family, or with friends.
A key element in the diagnosis of adjustment disorders is the presence of a clear stressor. Therefore, it can also be helpful to think of anything that may have triggered the start of your teen’s behavioral and emotional changes.
Accurate information assists in a correct diagnosis. So, by making a note of these changes and potential stressors, you could feel more prepared for the process of assessment and diagnosis. Ultimately, you’re advocating for the right course of treatment for your teen.
The Adjustment Disorder Diagnosis Process
When seeking a diagnosis for adjustment disorder in teens, one of the first people to speak to about concerns is their doctor or healthcare provider. This is because the first step in an assessment is typically a physical examination to rule out any potential physical conditions. If adjustment disorder is suspected, they may refer your teen to a mental health professional for a full assessment.
A mental health professional will then use the diagnostic criteria specified in the DSM-5 to make a diagnosis. Based on these criteria, they may ask you to share examples of your teen’s behavior, life events, emotions, and potential stressors to assist with the assessment.
For instance, the criteria in DSM-5 for adjustment disorder include:3
Whether a teen has developed emotional or behavioral symptoms within three months of the start of a stressful event- If a teen has symptoms that are clinically significant, meaning they either:
- Cause distress out of proportion to the severity of the stressor
- Cause notable impairment in daily functioning
Additionally, symptoms of an adjustment disorder must not meet criteria for another mental disorder, a pre-existing mental health condition getting worse, nor represent part of a normal grieving process.
If your teen is diagnosed with one of the six types of adjustment disorder, they may be referred for appropriate support or treatment specifically designed to improve their symptoms. These forms of treatment are explained in the next section.
Treatment and Support for Teens With Adjustment Disorder
The primary treatment for all types of adjustment disorder is talking therapy, often cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Engaging in therapy provides adolescents with emotional support and helps them understand why they have responded to their stress in such ways. Additionally, they may learn stress management skills so that they can respond to stress in healthier ways in the future.
Family therapy may also be beneficial, especially if a family event was the primary trigger for the development of adjustment disorder. In family therapy, the entire family is helped as a whole, with the focus typically being on minimizing stressors, improving communication, and strengthening family interactions.5
Depending on the type of adjustment disorder your teen has, medication may be appropriately used alongside therapy to improve their symptoms.4 For instance, antidepressants, anti-anxiety medication, or sleep aids may be prescribed by a doctor to ease symptoms of depression, anxiety, or insomnia, respectively.
Healing Adjustment Disorder in Teens With Mission Prep
Adjustment disorder can feel overwhelming for both a teen and their whole family. Fortunately, with the right support, teens can learn to manage their emotions, build their resilience to stress, and regain a sense of balance.
At Mission Prep, we specialize in supporting teens experiencing mental health challenges. Using evidence-based therapies like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and family therapy, we can support the entire family system. Additionally, we can provide medication management when required. Our flexible scheduling options can also make it easier to fit the care your teen needs into your family’s busy life.
If you’re concerned about your teen, contact us today to find out how we can help. Together, we can support your child in finding their way to a calmer and more confident life.
References
- Cleveland Clinic. (2025, August 27). Adjustment disorders. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21760-adjustment-disorder
- Alvarado, G. L. (2021). Adjustment disorder in the pediatric population. Pediatric Medicine, 5, 19. https://doi.org/10.21037/pm-20-76
- American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596
- Mayo Clinic. (2023, July 6). Adjustment disorders – Symptoms and causes. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/adjustment-disorders/symptoms-causes/syc-20355224
- Johns Hopkins Medicine. (2021, August 8). Adjustment disorders. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/adjustment-disorders
