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Objectives: This is the first study to estimate the prevalence of adjustment disorder (AjD) in the general population. A new conceptualisation of AjD as a stress response syndrome was applied, which allowed AjD to be assessed directly from its symptom profile, including intrusive, avoidance and failure-to-adapt symptoms (Maercker et al., Psychopathology 40:135-146, 2007). Methods: Prevalence rates of distressing life events and AjD were estimated from a representative sample of the German general population (n=2,512) with a broad age range (14-93years). A questionnaire including a life events checklist and self-rating questions that assessed AjD symptoms and symptom duration were personally handed out by an interviewer. Results: The prevalence of AjD fulfilling the criterion of clinically significant impairment was 0.9%; a further 1.4% of the sample was diagnosed with AjD without fulfilling the impairment criterion. In ~72.5% of AjD cases, symptoms had developed 6-24months prior to assessment. AjD was most often associated with acute events such as moving or chronic stressors such as serious illness, conflicts at the respondent's job or with friends or neighbours (with ~5% conditional probability each). Conclusions: The results correspond with the few other studies that have examined the prevalence of AjD, even though a new conceptualisation of the disorder was used. Explorative results regarding the duration of AjD syndromes and symptoms call for further redefinition and empirical investigation of this under-researched mental condition

Long-term psychological distress has been reported among significant others of patients who sustained a traumatic brain injury (TBI). This study examined the course and potential predictors of posttraumatic stress symptoms in a relative sample (N = 135) drawn from a national cohort study on severe TBI in Switzerland. Latent growth mixture model analyses revealed two main groups: Across 3, 6, and 12 months after the accident, 63% of the sample indicated fairly low symptom severity (“resilient” course), whereas 37% showed persistence of “higher distress” as indicated by elevated scores on the Impact of Event Scale–Revised. Group membership was significantly associated with self-reported dysfunctional disclosure style. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Severe traumatic brain injury (STBI) can cause psychological stress in proxies in the long-term. This study assessed post-traumatic stress (PTS) symptoms in proxies of survivors of STBI in the short-term and investigated stress-associated factors.Prospective cross-sectional study, conducted at three Swiss trauma centres over 1 year. Patient and proxy demographics, trauma data including Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) and management data were collected. The proxies' PTS symptoms were assessed by applying the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R), once in the first month after the accident (median: 11 days).Sixty-nine proxies were included; 52 proxies were female (77.8%). Mean IES-R sum score for intrusions was 13.38 (SD=7.26), for avoidance 8.91 (SD=5.94), and for hyperarousal 9.07 (SD=6.75). Clinically significant PTS symptoms were observed in 36 proxies (52.2%); mean IES-R sum scores were significantly higher in women. IES-R sub-scale values were inversely related with GCS at the scene of the accident and on hospital admission.More than half of proxies had clinically significant PTS symptoms shortly after their relative's accident. More severe PTS symptoms were found in women and in proxies of patients with poorer initial GCS scores. Further research into risk groups in the short- and long-term and the long-term impact on patients of PTS syndrome in proxies is warranted.