Adjustment disorder new module: the adaption and validation of a self-report questionnaire for the assessment of adjustment disorder

Abstract

Currently, Adjustment Disorder is viewed in diagnostic manuals as an exclusion diagnosis. There is evident need to better delineate between Adjustment Disorder and other disorders commonly overlapping with this disorder. The aim of this study was to validate the Estonian version of the ADNM (Adjustment Disorder New Module) questionnaire (Maercker et al., 2007) assessing patients recently diagnosed with Adjustment Disorder. In order to adapt and validate this questionnaire, a sample of clinical patient group (n=46) was obtained and data was collected using a package of self-report questionnaires (ADNM questionnaire, EST-Q-2; BDI; GHQ-26 and PCLC). Logisical regression analysis was used to predict the odds ratios of the presence of Adjustment Disorder and correlations between the ADNM questionnaire, other measuring instuments and the psychiatric diagnoses. The results showed that the subscale of the ADNM questionnaire which had been added Estonia-specific items yielded significant correlations with the EST-Q-2 Fatigue and Depression category. Based on the current sample, the overall validity of the questionnaire is poor – thus giving evidence that the diagnosing criteria of Adjustment Disorder might be specific to cultural backgounds.