Monica is 16 years old. Her 18-year-old brother tells her that he has been accepted into the college of his choice. In a few months, he will move to a town three hours away from her. Monica responds by screaming at him, sobbing for hours, locking herself in her bedroom, and refusing to eat unless he agrees to go to a college that is only 15 minutes away. A psychiatrist would MOST likely classify this case as what type of disorder?

An adjustment disorder involves an unusually intense emotional or behavioral response to an identifiable life stressor. Monica’s brother moving away is the stressor, and her prolonged sobbing, screaming, isolation, and refusal to eat are severe reactions to it. The best choice is adjustment disorder; this is not a developmental or neurodevelopmental condition, which involves broader patterns of development.

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