Severe Stress and Adjustment Disorder Diagnoses in the Population of Denmark

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Jaimie L. Gradus, Boston University; Imre Bozi, Aarhus University; Sussie Antonsen, Aarhus University; Elisabeth Svensson, Aarhus University; Timothy Lash, Emory University; Patricia A. Resick, Boston University; Jens Georg Hansen, Aarhus University
• Language: English
• Date: 2014-06-01
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies
• Publication Version: Author Accepted Manuscript (After Peer Review)
• Copyright Statement: © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jts.21926
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Journal of Traumatic Stress
• Volume: 27
• Issue: 3
• Start Page: 370
• End Page: 374
• Grant/Funding Information: This work was funded by a National Institute of Mental Health grant: “Constructing a Danish Reaction to Severe Stress Cohort” (1R21MH094551-01A1), Jaimie Gradus, Principal Investigator.
• Keywords: National comorbidity survey; DSM-IV disorders; Survey replication; Psychology, Clinical; Completed suicide; Social Sciences; Onset; Psychiatry; Lifetime prevalence; Science & Technology; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; Psychology; Sex differences
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Epidemiology; Psychology, Clinical; Health Sciences, Public Health; Health Sciences, Health Care Management

Abstract

We created a registry of Danish-born citizens of Denmark with incident International Classification of Diseases (10th ed.; ICD-10) severe stress and adjustment disorder diagnoses between 1995 and 2011. A unique personal identifier was used to retrieve and merge data on demographic characteristics and diagnoses (ICD-10 codes F43.x). Here we report on the incidence of these disorders and the demographic characteristics of the subset of the Danish population who have received 1 of these diagnoses: 111,844 adults and children received a first diagnosis between 1995 and 2011. More women than men (60.1% vs. 39.9%) received a diagnosis. Diagnoses increased during the late teens through early 30s. Adjustment disorder was the most common diagnosis (65.7% of adults and 64% of children). Reaction to severe stress unspecified was the second most common (19.8% of adults and 23.8% of children), and there was a large increase in both, as well as acute stress reaction diagnoses, in 2007 (3,717-5,141, 1,248-2,520, and 348-1,024 in 2006 to 2007, respectively). Findings regarding gender and age of onset are similar to other westernized countries. This registry can be used for future research programs, contributing to the study of stress and trauma. © 2014 International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies. Published 2014. This article is a US Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.