The objective nature of the stressor is of secondary importance. A stressor gains its pathogenic potential when the patient perceives it as stressful. The identification of a causal stressor is necessary if a diagnosis of adjustment disorder is to be made.There are certain stressors that are more common in different age groups:Adulthood:

Marital conflict
Financial conflict
Health issues with oneself, partner, or dependent children
Personal tragedy such as death or personal loss
Loss of job or unstable employment conditions e.g., corporate takeover or redundancyAdolescence and childhood:

Family conflict or parental separation
School problems or changing schools
Sexuality issues
Death, illness, or trauma in the familyIn a study conducted from 1990 to 1994 on 89 psychiatric outpatient adolescents, 25% had attempted suicide in which 37.5% had misused alcohol, 87.5% displayed aggressive behaviour, 12.5% had learning difficulties, and 87.5% had anxiety symptoms. Diagnosis
DSM-5 classification
The basis of the diagnosis is the presence of a precipitating stressor and a clinical evaluation of the possibility of symptom resolution on removal of the stressor due to the limitations in the criteria for diagnosing Adjustment disorder. In addition, the diagnosis of Adjustment disorder is less clear when patients are exposed to stressors long-term, because this type of exposure is associated with Adjustment disorder and major depressive disorder (MDD) and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).Some signs and criteria used to establish a diagnosis are important. First, the symptoms must clearly follow a stressor. The symptoms should be more severe than would be expected. There should not appear to be other underlying disorders.
Henriksson et al. (2005) states statistically that the stressors are of one-half related to parental issues and one-third in peer issues.One hypothesis about Adjustment disorder is that it may represent a sub-threshold clinical syndrome. Subtypes and Their Symptoms
Adjustment disorder has six different subtypes, and they are all based on what the main symptoms are.Those subtypes are as follows:
With depressed mood: depression, hopelessness, lack of interest or joy from previously enjoyed hobbies, tearfulness
With anxiety: anxiousness, being overwhelmed, trouble concentrating, worry, separation anxiety (common in children)
With anxiety and depressed mood: combination of symptoms from both subtypes above
With disturbance of conduct: acting destructive, reckless behavior, rebellious
With mixed disturbance of emotions and conduct: combination of symptoms from both subtypes above
Unspecified: symptoms that do not fall into above subtypes; often include physical symptoms and withdrawal from everyday activities

Risk factors
Those exposed to repeated trauma are at greater risk, even if that trauma is in the past. Age can be a factor due to young children having fewer coping resources and because they are less likely to realize the consequences of a potential stressor.A stressor is generally an event of a serious, unusual nature that an individual or group of individuals experience. Adjustment disorders can come from a wide range of stressors that can be traumatic or relatively minor, like the loss of a girlfriend/boyfriend, a poor report card, or moving to a new neighborhood. It is thought that the more often the stressor occurs, the more likely it is to produce Adjustment disorder.