Systematic review and meta-analysis of predictors of adjustment disorders in adults

Authors

Marija Spanovic Kelber, Psychological Health Center of Excellence, Defense Health Agency, Falls Church, VA, USA. Electronic address: marija.s.kelber.civ@mail.mil.
Maria A. Morgan, Psychological Health Center of Excellence, Defense Health Agency, Falls Church, VA, USA.
Erin H. Beech, Psychological Health Center of Excellence, Defense Health Agency, Falls Church, VA, USA.
Derek J. Smolenski, Psychological Health Center of Excellence, Defense Health Agency, Falls Church, VA, USA.
Dawn Bellanti, Psychological Health Center of Excellence, Defense Health Agency, Falls Church, VA, USA.
Lindsay Galloway, Psychological Health Center of Excellence, Defense Health Agency, Falls Church, VA, USA.
Suman Ojha, Psychological Health Center of Excellence, Defense Health Agency, Falls Church, VA, USA.
Jean Lin Otto, Psychological Health Center of Excellence, Defense Health Agency, Falls Church, VA, USA.
Abigail L. Wilson, Psychological Health Center of Excellence, Defense Health Agency, Falls Church, VA, USA; Department of Epidemiology, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA.
Nigel Bush, Psychological Health Center of Excellence, Defense Health Agency, Falls Church, VA, USA.
Bradley E. Belsher, Psychological Health Center of Excellence, Defense Health Agency, Falls Church, VA, USA; Carl T Hayden Veterans Medical Center, Phoenix, AZ, USA.

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

2-15-2022

Journal

Journal of affective disorders

Volume

304

DOI

10.1016/j.jad.2022.02.038

Keywords

Adjustment disorders; Predictors; Risk factors

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The diagnosis of adjustment disorder is common in clinical practice, yet there is lack of research on the etiology and epidemiology of adjustment disorders. The goal of this systematic review was to evaluate predictors of adjustment disorders in adults. METHODS: We conducted systematic searches in MEDLINE, EMBASE, and PsycINFO. We included 70 studies that examined thirteen theoretically-derived and predefined predictors of adjustment disorders with a total of 3,449,374 participants. RESULTS: We found that female gender, younger age, unemployed status, stress, physical illness and injury, low social support, and a history of mental health disorders predicted adjustment disorders. Most of these predictors differentiated individuals with adjustment disorders from individuals with no mental health disorders. Participants with adjustment disorders were more likely to have experienced accidents than were those with posttraumatic stress disorder but were less likely to have experienced assaults and abuse, neglect, and maltreatment. More research is needed to identify factors that differentiate adjustment disorders from other mental health disorders. LIMITATIONS: Because very few studies adjusted for confounders (e.g., demographic variables, mental health histories, and a variety of stressors), it was not possible to identify independent associations between predictors and adjustment disorders. CONCLUSIONS: We identified a number of factors that predicted adjustment disorders compared to no mental health diagnosis. The majority of studies were rated as moderate or high in risk of bias, suggesting that more rigorous research is needed to confirm the relationships we detected.

APA Citation

Kelber, Marija Spanovic; Morgan, Maria A.; Beech, Erin H.; Smolenski, Derek J.; Bellanti, Dawn; Galloway, Lindsay; Ojha, Suman; Otto, Jean Lin; Wilson, Abigail L.; Bush, Nigel; and Belsher, Bradley E., "Systematic review and meta-analysis of predictors of adjustment disorders in adults" (2022). GW Authored Works. Paper 149.
https://hsrc.himmelfarb.gwu.edu/gwhpubs/149

Department

Public Health Student Works