Psychopathological characteristics of adjustment disorder among outpatients with and without work related stress

G Ital Med Lav Ergon. 2017 Nov;39(2):72-77.

Abstract
in English, Italian

Objectives: Study's objective is to assess psychopathological profiles in outpatients with a diagnosis of Adjustment Disorder (AD) who had positive evaluations of work related stress (AD-W) versus those exposed to other stressful life events (AD-O).

Methods: The participants were 70 outpatients with AD-W, compared to 71 outpatients with AD-O, admitted at the Unit of Psychiatry and Occupational Medicine, Sant'Andrea Hospital, Rome. Patients completed the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD), the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A), the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory - 2 (MMPI-2), and the Rorschach test.

Results: The emerged data underline that patients with AD-W scored significantly higher than patients with AD-O in the MMPI-2 scales D, Pd, Pa, FAM, and in the Rorschach anxiety scale (Sum Y).

Conclusions: Finally patients with AD-W showed greater levels of psychopathology compared to patients with AD-O. Further studies assessing the harm associated with stress might allow a better understanding of the diagnosis and therapeutic implications of AD.

Lo studio si propone di valutare i profili psicopatologici in pazienti ambulatoriali con una diagnosi di Disturbo dell’Adattamento (AD), che risultano positivi alla valutazione dello stress occupazionale (AD-W), rispetto a coloro che hanno vissuto altri eventi di vita stressanti (AD-O). I partecipanti erano 70 pazienti ambulatoriali con AD-W, paragonati a 71 pazienti ambulatoriali con AD-O, afferenti all’Unità di Psichiatria e di Medicina del Lavoro dell’Ospedale Sant’Andrea di Roma. Ai pazienti sono state somministrate la Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD), la Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A), il Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory - 2 (MMPI-2) ed il Test di Rorschach. I dati emersi evidenziano che i pazienti con AD-W ottengono punteggi significativamente più alti rispetto ai pazienti con AD-O nelle scale D, Pd, Pa, FAM, dell’MMPI-2 e nella scala dell’ansia (Sum Y) del Test di Rorschach. Infine pazienti con AD-W mostrano più alti livelli di psicopatologia, rispetto ai pazienti con AD-O. Ulteriori studi riferiscono che il danno associato allo stress permetterebbe di comprendere meglio la diagnosi e le implicazioni terapeutiche del AD.

Keywords: Adjustment Disorder; MMPI-2; Rorschach; work related stress.

MeSH terms

  • Adjustment Disorders / epidemiology*
  • Adjustment Disorders / physiopathology
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Female
  • Humans
  • MMPI
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Occupational Stress / epidemiology*
  • Occupational Stress / physiopathology
  • Outpatients*
  • Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
  • Stress, Psychological / epidemiology*
  • Stress, Psychological / physiopathology