Although the psychiatric consultant in the general hospital setting is frequently called on to
distinguish major depression from adjustment disorder, no studies to date have examined
whether the two diagnoses are in fact distinguishable. Analysis of computerized data base
records from 944 cases seen by psychiatric consultants from 1981–1987 revealed 59 cases
of major depression and 130 cases of adjustment disorder with depressed mood. Patients
with major depression were more likely to be older (p< 0.001), widowed (p< 0.001), and …