maladjustment

mal·ad·just·ment

noun \ˌmal-ə-ˈjəs(t)-mənt\

Definition of MALADJUSTMENT

: poor, faulty, or inadequate adjustment; especially : failure to reach a satisfactory adjustment between one's desires and the conditions of one's life <emotional maladjustments> <symptoms of maladjustment…in early childhood—Psychological Abstracts>

—mal·ad·just·ed \-əd\ adjective

—mal·ad·jus·tive \-iv\ adjective