Two months after knowing that his son was suffering from leukemia, a 45 year old father presents with sleep deprivation, lethargy, headache, and low mood. He interacts reasonably well with others, but has absented himself from work. The most probable diagnosis is:: (A) Depression, (B) Psychogenic headache, (C) Adjustment disorder, (D) Somatization disorder
Answer is C. Here, the diagnosis is adjustment disorder. The symptoms are not severe enough to qualify for the diagnosis of depression and there is a clear history of a stressor (diagnosis of leukemia in son). The symptoms of adjustment disorder usually sta within 3 months of the stressor