Maladaptation in psychology can be defined as patterns of thought, behaviour or coping patterns that have evolved in order to cope with stress or other problems but which are harmful or counterproductive in the long term. The maladaptive responses disrupt growth, relationships, and the well-being of people unlike the adaptive strategies, which allow people to adapt to their environments in healthy ways.
To illustrate, socially isolating because of anxiety can help to eliminate the stress in the short run but can cause loneliness in the long run and exacerbate the symptoms. In the same way, substance use to address traumas may address emotional pain but will cause other mental and physical challenges. Studies indicate that the fact that coping strategies have become inflexible and inertial greatly contributes to the development of maladaptation that renders an individual unable to adapt to new or changing situations. It is noted in many situations, such as anxiety disorders, depression, post-traumatic stress, and personality disorders. Maladaptation is also critical to understand in therapy and intervention because the treatment is usually aimed at substituting unsustainable patterns with more adaptive and healthy coping patterns.