separately. These factors include but are not limited to age, severity of symptoms, type of adjustment disorder, and personal preference. Different ways to help with the disorder include: individual psychotherapy family therapy peer group therapy medication In addition to professional help, parents and caregivers can help their children with their difficulty adjusting by: offering encouragement to talk about their emotions offering support and understanding reassuring the child that their reactions are normal involving the child's teachers to check on their progress in school letting the child make simple decisions at home, such as what to eat for dinner or what show to watch on television having the child engage in a hobby or activity they enjoy Criticism Like many of the items in the DSM, adjustment disorder receives criticism from a minority of the professional community as well as those in semi-related professions outside the healthcare field. First, there has been criticism of its classification. It has been criticized for its lack of specificity of symptoms, behavioral parameters, and close links with environmental factors. Relatively little research has been done on this condition. An editorial in the British Journal of Psychiatry described adjustment disorder as being so "vague and all-encompassing… as to be useless," but it has been retained in the DSM-5 because of the belief that it serves a useful clinical purpose for clinicians seeking a temporary, mild, non-stigmatizing label, particularly for patients who need a diagnosis for insurance coverage of therapy. In the US military there has been concern about its diagnosis in active duty military personnel. In relation to the COVID-19 pandemic A study was conducted in Poland during the first phase of the pandemic. The study used self-report surveys to measure the prevalence and severity of symptoms of adjustment disorder compared to PTSD, depression, and anxiety. The data was collected in the first quarantine period between March 25 to April 27, 2020. Results from the study The COVID-19 pandemic was a highly stressful event for 75% of the participants and the most powerful predictor of adjustment disorder. 49% reported an increase in adjustment disorder symptoms, which were more common among females and those without a full-time job. 14% of the sample met the criteria for a diagnosis of adjustment disorder. A significant proportion of the sample was also positive for generalized anxiety (44%) and depression (26%): the presumptive diagnosis rate of PTSD was 2.4% References Further