Research was conducted to investigate Adjustment Disorder with Depressed Mood, and some causes, affects, and treatment approaches. Not all individuals manifest or demonstrate the same depressive symptoms, which can make it difficult for clinicians to diagnose and treat. The American Psychiatric Association has categorized various depressive disorders in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders fourth edition (DSM-IV, 1994). Researchers have investigated the validity of the DSM diagnostic criteria over the years, and have studied various treatment approaches. The treatment approach found to be most effective and used most often for treating depression is Cognitive and Behavior therapy.Depression is not unique to our culture it is found throughout the world. Mezzich and Raab (1980), report that they found comparable depressive severity's in samples from Austria, Czechoslovakia, England, Germany, Japan, Switzerland and the United States. Depression is a term that covers a wide range of emotional states. Klerman (cited in Marsella, Hirschfeld & Katz, 1987) said that "as a normal mood, depression is almost universal in human experience; for example, not to grieve after the loss of a loved one is somehow less than human" (p.3). Depression can range in severity from normal everyday moods of sadness, to psychotic episodes with increased risk of suicide (Gotlib & Colby, 1987). Depression has been identified as the most common psychiatric symptoms found in hospital settings (Rodin & Voshart, 1986). It is estimated that depression accounts for 75% of all hospitalizations, and more than 100 million people in the world develop clinically recognizable depression (Gotlib & Colby, 1987). The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), helps clinicians identify the various depressive disorders (Snyder, Strain & Wolf, 1990).The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders fourth edition (DSM IV), i...
