Adjustment disorders in Asians and Asian Americans

In the DSM-5, adjustment disorders have undergone a conceptual shift with a new designation as a constellation of stress-related conditions in response to exposure to a distressing event which may be perceived as traumatic or non-traumatic. This is in contrast to its previous description in DSM-IV-TR, which focused on the presence of significant distress following a crisis event, but did not require the individual to meet the criteria for a more serious disorder. This paper will present a brief overview of the clinical nosology, etiology, and treatment modalities for adjustment disorders with Asian and Asian American populations.