Adjustment Disorder is a maladaptive emotional or behavioral reaction to a stressful event or change in a child’s life, such as a family move, divorce, loss of a pet, or birth of a sibling. The reaction must occur within three months of the stressful event to be considered an adjustment disorder. Because adjustment disorders are a reaction to stress, there is not a single direct cause between the stressful event and the reaction.

Children and adolescents vary in their temperament, past experiences, vulnerability, and coping skills. Their developmental stage and the capacity of their support system to meet their needs may contribute to their reaction to a particular stress.

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