Acute Adjustment Disorder, with Depressed Mood

You said that your child feels sad, cries a lot, or feels hopeless. You also said that these problems started after s/he went through something stressful.

S/he may have gone through one of the following things:

• Moved to a new place
• Started going to a new daycare/preschool/school
• The birth of a sibling
• Some other change

All children have some problems when they go through something like this. Your child is having a harder time than most. Your child may be having problems at home or other places because of this. Children who have the problems that you reported often something called an adjustment disorder

Most children with this type of problem feel better within 6 months. If your child continues to go through something stressful then your child's problems may last longer.

Warning Signs that things are getting worse:

• Your child often feels guilty.
• Your child says he/she often has thoughts of death.
• Your child says he/she feels worthless.
• Your child seems sad or irritable most days, for several weeks in a row.

Adapted in part from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Primary Care (DSM-PC) (1996) and the American Psychiatric Association Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) (1994) .