Adjustment Disorder in U.S. Service Members: Factors Associated With Early Separation

Abstract

ABSTRACT Introduction Adjustment disorder (AD) is a time-delimited disorder characterized by excessive emotional distress or impaired functioning in response to an identifiable stressor. Although it is commonly diagnosed in mental health settings, its impact on occupational, social and other areas of functioning is not well understood. As a subthreshold disorder that is frequently diagnosed in conjunction with other physical and mental health disorders, the extent of its contribution to functional impairment may be obscured. During military service, research suggests AD is frequently diagnosed in early-service trainees. To help elucidate the relationship between AD and functional outcome, we explored 2 factors that may be associated with the rate of separation from service in U.S. active duty service members (SMs) with an AD diagnosis: previous mental health diagnoses and time in service when SMs receive an incident AD diagnosis (IADx). Materials and Methods Twenty-thousand SMs with an IADx were grouped by whether or not this was their first mental health diagnosis received in the military. To assess functional impairment, the 2 groups were compared on rate of separation. Those without prior diagnoses were then stratified into 5 groups based on length of time from military entrance to receipt of IADx and were further analyzed for separation rates. The Cox model was used to determine hazard ratios and create survival curves. The study was determined to be “not human subjects research.” Results Nearly half (46.4%) of SMs with an IADx previously had received a mental health diagnosis and had an increased risk of separation [hazard ratio = 1.25 (95% confidence interval: 1.207-1.286)]. Of SMs with IADx as their first diagnosis, 19.3% were diagnosed during the first 6 months of service and had the highest risk of separating [hazard ratio = 1.48 (1.381-1.589)], with a 60% probability of separating within 2 years of diagnosis. Those receiving it during the second 6 months of service (16.2%), second year (20.1%), or third year (18.2%) had approximately a 47% probability of separating within 2 years. Conclusions Previous mental health diagnoses and time in service when diagnosed appear to be important factors associated with functional impairment for SMs with AD. Nearly half of those with an IADx had previously received diagnoses for mood, anxiety, and other disorders and were at higher risk of separation following IADx. Our findings are based on diagnoses entered in electronic health records, so we cannot identify the nature of the stressor that precipitated AD. Nonetheless, early IADx predicted the fastest rate of separation, and it may be an opportune time for interventions to reduce its impact on functional outcomes.