dentifies clinical depressive disorders by diagnostic categories. Adjustment Disorder with Depressed Mood is the diagnostic term used in the DSM IV, to identify a relatively mild form of depression (DSM-IV; American Psychiatric Association, 1994).The focus of this research paper is on Adjustment Disorder with Depressed Mood, and the treatment approach found to be the most effective. This research will include: (a) DSM-IV: validity of diagnostic criteria, (b) Adjustment Disorder with Depressed Mood: cause & affect, and (c) treatment approaches: effective methods.DSM-IV: validity of diagnostic criteria Clinicians need to be able to differentiate between various depressive disorders in order to properly diagnose and treat them. The information in the DSM-IV allows clinicians to differentiate between the normal depressive mood state and those abnormal states that merit clinical intervention (DSM-IV; American Psychiatric Association, 1994). How valid are the criteria in the DSM-IV? Over the years there have been several studies conducted that have validated the DSM classification system and the diagnostic criteria for adjustment disorders, which includes Adjustment Disorder with Depressed Mood (Snyder, Strain & Wolf, 1990; Andresen & Wasek, 1980; Andresen & Hoenk, 1982). The DSM-IV not only specifies the criterion that assists clinicians differentiate between various depressive states, it helps identify some of the cause and affects of the disorders. The cause and affects of Adjustment Disorder with Depressed Mood are essentially described within the diagnostic features. The DSM-IV states that:The essential feature of an Adjustment Disorder is the development of clinically significant emotional or behavioral symptoms in response to an identifiable psychological stressor or stressors . . . The stressor may be a single event (e.g., termination of a romantic relationship), or there may be multiple stressors (e.g., marked business dif...
