Adjustment Disorders 287
D. The symptoms do not represent normal bereavement.
E. Once the stressor or its consequences have terminated, the symptoms do not persist
for more than an additional 6 months.
Specify whether:
309.0 (F43.21) With depressed mood:  Low mood, tearfulness, or feelings of hope-
lessness are predominant.
309.24 (F43.22) With anxiety:  Nervousness, worry, jitteriness, or separation anxiety
is predominant.
309.28 (F43.23) With mixed anxiety and depressed mood:  A combination of de-
pression and anxiety is predominant.
309.3 (F43.24) With disturbance of conduct:  Disturbance of conduct is predominant.
309.4 (F43.25) With mixed disturba nce of emotions and conduct:  Both emotional
symptoms (e.g., depression, anxiety) and a disturbance of conduct are predominant.
309.9 (F43.20) Unspecified:  For maladaptive reactions that are not classifiable as one
of the specific subtypes of adjustment disorder.
Diagnostic Features
The presence of emotional or behavioral sympto ms in response to an identifiable stressor
is the essential feature of adju stment disorders (Criterion A) . The stressor may be a single
event (e.g., a termination of a romantic relati onship), or there may be multiple stressors
(e.g., marked business difficulties and marita l problems). Stressors may be recurrent (e.g.,
associated with seasonal busi ness crises, unfulfilling sexual relationships) or continuous
(e.g., a persistent painful illness with increasi ng disability, living in a crime-ridden neigh-
borhood). Stressors may affect a single individual, an entire family, or a larger group or