Objective: Adjustment disorder (AD) is one of the most debated diagnoses in psychiatry since it has been recognised as vaguely defined and causing a lot of difficulties in clinical practice. We aimed to analyse the structure of adjustment disorder based on International Classification of Diseases (ICD)–11 proposals by the WHO ICD-11 Working Group on the Classification of Disorders Specifically Associated with Stress in the general population in Lithuania. Three structural models of adjustment disorder were tested using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA).Method: Data from the sample of 649 participants who experienced at least one significant stressor during the last two years was included in CFA analysis. Stressor exposure and AD symptoms were measured with the Lithuanian version of the Adjustment Disorder New Module (ADNM-20).Results: The CFA analysis revealed that the two core factor model of the AD with two core symptoms: preoccupation and failure to adapt fitted data the best in contrast to other two models.Conclusion: The study supports the ICD-11 proposal for the structure of adjustment disorder with two core symptoms: preoccupation and failure to adapt. Further studies are needed to analyse the structure of AD in other populations.
Risk factors for depression in older adults include significant interpersonal losses, increasing social isolation, and deteriorating physical abilities and health that require healthcare. The effects of unmet healthcare needs on depression in older adults are understudied. This study aimed to analyze the association between unmet healthcare needs and symptoms of depression, sleep, and antidepressant medication while controlling for other significant factors among older adults. For this study, we used a multinational database from The Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), containing data of individuals aged 50 and older. The final sample used in this research consisted of 39,484 individuals from 50 to 100 years (mean − 71.15, SD ± 9.19), 42.0 percent of whom were male. Three path models exploring relationships between symptoms of depression at an older age and unmet healthcare needs were produced and had a good model fit. We found that unmet healthcare needs were directly related to depression, activity limitations were related to depression directly and through unmet healthcare needs, whereas financial situation mostly indirectly through unmet healthcare needs. We discuss how depression itself could increase unmet healthcare needs.
Background: Adjustment disorder is among the most often diagnosed mental health disorders. Still, there is a lack of specific interventions available for adjustment disorder. Objectives: The aim of this study was to test if an internet-based self-help intervention for adjustment disorder could be effective without therapist involvement. Design: A parallel group randomized controlled trial design was used to test the effectiveness of the Brief Adjustment Disorder Intervention (BADI) – an internet-based intervention for adjustment disorder. Methods: In total 1077 participants were randomized into two conditions: BADI intervention and BADI intervention with therapist support. The main outcome measures were symptoms of adjustment disorder and well-being. Results: Pre-intervention to post-intervention adjustment disorder effect size for the BADI intervention group was d = 0.64, and for the BADI with therapist support group the effect size was d = 0.53. Conclusions: The present study supported the effectiveness of the BADI intervention. Our findings also indicated that adding therapist support to the standard BADI intervention did not significantly improve the outcomes.
Adjustment disorder is one of the most common mental health diagnoses. Still it receives relatively little attention from researchers trying to establish best interventions to treat it. With high prevalence of stressful life events, which might be leading to adjustment disorder, and limited resources of mental health service providers, online interventions could be a very practical way of helping people who have these disorders or are in the risk to develop them. The proposed study protocol is aimed to describe a randomized controlled trial of an internet-based modular intervention for adjustment disorder as it is defined in a proposal for the ICD-11. This study is a two-armed Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) to examine the effectiveness of a web-based intervention BADI (Brief Adjustment Disorder Intervention) for adjustment disorder symptoms. BADI has four modules: Relaxation, Time management, Mindfulness and Strengthening relationships. It is based on stress and coping research and integrates evidence-based treatment approaches such as Cognitive Behavioural therapy (CBT), mindfulness and body-mind practices, as well as exercises for enhancing social support. Primary outcome of the study are symptoms of adjustment disorder and well-being. Engagement into the program and motivation for change is a secondary outcome. All participants after completing the baseline assessment are randomly assigned to one of the two groups: either to the one in which participant will instantly gain access to the BADI intervention or a group in which participants will be given access to the BADI program after waiting one month. Participants of BADI can choose exercises of the program flexibly. There is no particular order in which the exercises should be completed. Study will provide new insights of modular internet-based interventions efficacy for adjustment disorders. The study will also provide information about the role of motivation and expectancies on engagement in modular internet-based interventions. In case this RCT supports effectiveness of fully automated version of BADI, it could be used very broadly. It could become a cost-effective and accessible intervention for adjustment disorder. The study was retrospectively registered with the Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry with the registration number ACTRN12616000883415 . Registered 5 July, 2016.
Background: There is a growing body of evidence to show that low-intensity self-help internet-delivered interventions are effective in the treatment of mental disorders. Despite the promising effectiveness of internet-delivered interventions, there is still a challenge for mental health services to implement internet-delivered interventions in routine health care. The aim of this study was to analyze the predictors of adherence to a self-help internet-delivered intervention for adjustment disorder. Methods: This was a secondary report of data, including unpublished data, from a randomized controlled trial of an internet-delivered self-help intervention for adjustment disorder. The study included 1,077 participants who had completed online baseline assessments. All participants had experienced significant life stressors over the last 2 years and had high levels of adjustment disorder symptoms. We analyzed the role of sociodemographic variables, pre-treatment adjustment disorder symptoms, outcome expectations, and perceived barriers to mental health services on the use of the intervention. Results: We found that usage of internet-delivered self-help intervention and higher adherence was associated with female gender, greater age, higher pre-intervention outcome expectations, exposure to other forms of psychological therapy in addition to the internet-intervention at the time of the study, and reported perceived barriers to mental health services by the study participants. Conclusions: The findings of the study indicated the importance of non-specific therapeutic factors on adherence during internet-delivered intervention. Perceived barriers to mental health services were associated with higher adherence to self-help intervention, which indicated that communities with restricted access to mental health services could benefit from low-intensity internet-delivered interventions.