Audronė Miškinytė, Virginija Adomaitienė

Abstract

Adjustment disorder research has not yet disclosed the relationship of anxiety and depression symptoms with gender and age. It is assumed that emotional reactions are related to individual characteristics of personality and stressors that influence social adjustment. The goal of this study was to determine the expression of anxiety and depression symptoms in psychological assessment of adjustment disorders. Methods. 153 psychological assessment protocols of hospitalized adjustment disorder patients were analyzed retrospectively. MMPI-2 and Luscher color test data was analyzed. Results. Women attribute significantly more anxiety symptoms to themselves than men (p = 0,023). Hypothondriasis and Depression scale elevations dominate in men and women‘s profiles that indicate difficulties in identifying emotional experiences, especially anxiety, and possible somatization of anxiety. Depression symptoms are attributed to oneself most commonly. Experiences of anxiety dominate in a projective test. Men tend to cover anxiety by strengthening self-control, emphasizing their independency and self-confidence, when women tend to withdraw. Conclusions. Objective test determined self-attributed depression symptoms and somewhat anxiety. Projective test determined anxiety and no depression symptoms. The behavior is mostly determined by anxiety rather than depression symptoms. The expression of anxiety differs depending on gender and age.

Article in Lithuanian

Keyword(s): anxiety symptoms; depression symptoms; adjustment disorder; MMPI-2; Luscher color test
DOI: 10.5200/sm-hs.2013.131
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