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DeGroot H, Silver J, Klein DN, Carlson GA. Parent and Teacher Ratings of Tonic and Phasic Irritability in a Clinical Sample. Res Child Adolesc Psychopathol 2024; 52:891-903. [PMID: 38236382 DOI: 10.1007/s10802-023-01151-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
Research on tonic (persistently angry or grumpy mood) and phasic (temper tantrums/outbursts) irritability in youth has utilized community samples and information from parents and youth. We examined whether tonic and phasic irritability are empirically distinguishable and have similar correlates using teacher, in addition to parent, reports in a clinical sample of children and adolescents. The sample included youth aged 5-18 evaluated at a university outpatient clinic, with complete information from 2481 parents and 2449 teachers. We conducted confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) using items from several parent- and teacher-report inventories and examined concurrent associations with psychopathology and functioning. The CFA supported a two-factor model consistent with tonic and phasic irritability in both parent- and teacher-reports. Parent-reported tonic irritability was associated with higher rates of depression and anxiety disorders, suicidality, and antidepressant medication use. Teacher-reported tonic irritability was associated with elevated rates of depression and antidepressant use. Both parent- and teacher-reported phasic irritability were linked to higher rates of ADHD combined type, oppositional defiant/conduct disorders, and referral for rages. Parent- and teacher-reported tonic and phasic irritability were all associated with impaired social functioning. Parents and teachers can distinguish tonic and phasic irritability, which are associated with internalizing and externalizing problems, respectively. Findings were generally consistent across informants, and with prior studies using community samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harriet DeGroot
- University of Alabama Psychology Department, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA.
| | - Jamilah Silver
- Stony Brook University, Department of Psychology, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Daniel N Klein
- Stony Brook University, Department of Psychology, Stony Brook, NY, USA
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2
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Niu Y, Buzzell GA, Cosmoiu A, Fox NA, Nelson CA, Zeanah CH, Humphreys KL. Foster Care Leads to Lower Irritability Among Adolescents with a History of Early Psychosocial Deprivation. Res Child Adolesc Psychopathol 2024:10.1007/s10802-024-01193-x. [PMID: 38642277 DOI: 10.1007/s10802-024-01193-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/22/2024]
Abstract
Irritability reflects a propensity for frustration and anger, and is a transdiagnostic symptom of both externalizing and internalizing psychopathology. While early adverse experiences are associated with higher levels of irritability, experiences of early psychosocial deprivation and whether family-based placements can mitigate the impact on subsequent irritability, remain underexplored. The current study examined irritability in 107 16-year-olds with a history of institutional care from a randomized controlled trial of foster care as an alternative to institutional care and 49 community comparison children. At age 16 years, irritability was assessed using parent- and self-report forms of the Affective Reactivity Index. Compared to community adolescents, those with a history of institutional care exhibited significantly elevated irritability levels. Among those who experienced institutional care, those randomized to foster care had lower levels of irritability compared to participants randomized to the care-as-usual group, and this effect persists after controlling for baseline negative emotionality. These findings suggest a causal link between high-quality foster care and lower irritability following psychosocial deprivation. Additionally, longer duration in institutional care and non-family placement at age 16 years were associated with higher levels of irritability, highlighting the role of caregiving in explaining variation in irritability in adolescence. Policies that support long-term, high-quality family placements for children without regular caregivers should be prioritized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanbin Niu
- Department of Psychology & Human Development, Peabody College, Vanderbilt University, 230 Appleton Place, Nashville, TN, 37203, USA
| | - George A Buzzell
- Department of Psychology, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Ana Cosmoiu
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Nathan A Fox
- Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Charles A Nelson
- Boston Children's Hospital of Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Graduate School of Education, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Charles H Zeanah
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Kathryn L Humphreys
- Department of Psychology & Human Development, Peabody College, Vanderbilt University, 230 Appleton Place, Nashville, TN, 37203, USA.
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3
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Harris JL, LeBeau B, Petersen IT. Reactive and control processes in the development of internalizing and externalizing problems across early childhood to adolescence. Dev Psychopathol 2024:1-23. [PMID: 38584292 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579424000713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
Reactive and control processes - e.g., negative emotionality and immediacy preference - may predict distinct psychopathology trajectories. However, externalizing and internalizing problems change in behavioral manifestation across development and across contexts, thus necessitating the use of different measures and informants across ages. This is the first study that created developmental scales for both internalizing and externalizing problems by putting scores from different informants and measures onto the same scale to examine temperament facets as risk factors. Multidimensional linking allowed us to examine trajectories of internalizing and externalizing problems from ages 2 to 15 years (N = 1,364) using near-annual ratings by mothers, fathers, teachers, other caregivers, and self report. We examined reactive and control processes in early childhood as predictors of the trajectories and as predictors of general versus specific psychopathology in adolescence. Negative emotionality at age 4 predicted general psychopathology and unique externalizing problems at age 15. Wait times on an immediacy preference task at age 4 were negatively associated with age 15 general psychopathology, and positively associated with unique internalizing problems. Findings demonstrate the value of developmental scaling for examining development of psychopathology across a lengthy developmental span and the importance of considering reactive and control processes in development of psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan L Harris
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, IA, USA
| | - Brandon LeBeau
- Department of Psychological and Quantitative Foundations, University of Iowa, IA, USA
| | - Isaac T Petersen
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, IA, USA
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4
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Dugré JR, Giguère CÉ, Potvin S. The company you keep: The neglected role of affiliating with delinquent friends in the development of the cannabis-violence link. Addict Behav 2024; 151:107939. [PMID: 38141319 DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2023.107939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Revised: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/25/2023]
Abstract
A growing body of research suggests a potential role of cannabis use on aggressive behaviors. In literature on adolescents, the lack of consideration of important confounders, such as adolescent's affiliation with delinquent peers, limits the possibility to determine whether there might be a direct or indirect link between cannabis use and aggression. Therefore, we sought to examine the effect of delinquent peers on the association between cannabis use and violence. We re-analyzed data from 850 ninth graders who were followed from mid-adolescence to early adulthood. Generalized Estimations Equations (GEE) were conducted to examine whether affiliation with delinquent peers may mediate the relationship between cannabis use and violence. Cross-Lagged Panel Models were also conducted to estimate the directionality of these relationships over time. We additionally tested whether similar relationships may be identifiable when examining rule-breaking behaviors and/or alcohol use. GEE models revealed that both cannabis use and affiliation with delinquent peers were statistically associated with aggressive behaviors. Cannabis use, alcohol use and delinquent peers also predicted rule-breaking behaviors. More precisely, cross-lagged models showed that affiliation with delinquent peers played a partially mediating role in the cannabis-aggression link, and that similar cross-lagged estimates were observed when examining rule-breaking behaviors instead of aggression. Our results indicate that cannabis use may be associated with aggression as well as rule-breaking behaviors, suggesting a broader effect on conduct problems. More importantly, our study highlights the non-negligible role of affiliating with delinquent peers during adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jules R Dugré
- School of Psychology and Centre for Human Brain Health, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
| | - Charles-Édouard Giguère
- Research Center of the Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal, Montreal, Canada
| | - Stéphane Potvin
- Research Center of the Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal, Montreal, Canada; Department of Psychiatry and Addictology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada.
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5
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Harris JL, Swanson B, Petersen IT. A Developmentally Informed Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Strength of General Psychopathology in Childhood and Adolescence. Clin Child Fam Psychol Rev 2024; 27:130-164. [PMID: 38112921 PMCID: PMC10938301 DOI: 10.1007/s10567-023-00464-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
Considerable support exists for higher-order dimensional conceptualizations of psychopathology in adults. A growing body of work has focused on understanding the structure of general and specific psychopathology in children and adolescents. No prior meta-analysis has examined whether the strength of the general psychopathology factor (p factor)-measured by explained common variance (ECV)-changes from childhood to adolescence. The primary objective of this multilevel meta-analysis was to determine whether general psychopathology strength changes across development (i.e. across ages) in childhood and adolescence. Several databases were searched in November 2021; 65 studies, with 110 effect sizes (ECV), nested within shared data sources, were identified. Included empirical studies used a factor analytic modeling approach that estimated latent factors for child/adolescent internalizing, externalizing, and optionally thought-disordered psychopathology, and a general factor. Studies spanned ages 2-17 years. Across ages, general psychopathology explained over half (~ 56%) of the reliable variance in symptoms of psychopathology. Age-moderation analyses revealed that general factor strength remained stable across ages, suggesting that general psychopathology strength does not significantly change across childhood to adolescence. Even if the structure of psychopathology changes with development, the prominence of general psychopathology across development has important implications for future research and intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan L Harris
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, 340 Iowa Avenue G60, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA.
| | - Benjamin Swanson
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA
| | - Isaac T Petersen
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, 340 Iowa Avenue G60, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
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Carlson GA, Althoff RR, Singh MK. Future Directions: The Phenomenology of Irritable Mood and Outbursts: Hang Together or Hang Separately 1. JOURNAL OF CLINICAL CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHOLOGY : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL FOR THE SOCIETY OF CLINICAL CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHOLOGY, AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION, DIVISION 53 2024; 53:309-327. [PMID: 38588602 DOI: 10.1080/15374416.2024.2332999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/10/2024]
Abstract
Recognition of the importance of irritable mood and outbursts has been increasing over the past several decades. This "Future Directions" aims to develop a set of recommendations for future research emphasizing that irritable mood and outbursts "hang together," but have important distinctions and thus also need to "hang separately." Outbursts that are the outcome of irritable mood may be quite different from outbursts that are the trigger or driving force that make youth and his/her environment miserable. What, then, is the relation between irritable mood and outbursts? As the field currently stands, we not only cannot answer this question, but we may also lack the tools to effectively do so. Here, we will propose recommendations for understanding the phenomenology of irritable mood and outbursts so that more directed and clinically useful assessment tools can be designed. We discuss the transdiagnostic and treatment implications that relate to improvements in measurement. We describe the need to do more than repurpose our current assessment tools, specifically interviews and rating scales, which were designed for different purposes. The future directions of the study and treatment of irritable mood and outbursts will require, among others, using universally accepted nomenclature, supporting the development of tools to measure the characteristics of each irritable mood and outbursts, understanding the effects of question order, informant, development and longitudinal course, and studying the ways in which outbursts and irritable mood respond to treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabrielle A Carlson
- Psychiatry and Pediatrics, Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University
| | - Robert R Althoff
- Psychiatry, Pediatrics, & Psychological Science, University of Vermont
| | - Manpreet Kaur Singh
- Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis School of Medicine
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Dissanayake AS, Dupuis A, Arnold PD, Burton CL, Crosbie J, Schachar RJ, Levy T. Is irritability multidimensional: Psychometrics of The Irritability and Dysregulation of Emotion Scale (TIDES-13). Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2024:10.1007/s00787-023-02350-1. [PMID: 38228758 DOI: 10.1007/s00787-023-02350-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
Irritability is a common, impairing, and potentially multifaceted manifestation of psychopathology. We designed The Irritability and Dysregulation of Emotion Scale (TIDES-13) to determine whether various expressions of irritability in children and youth form multiple subdimensions with distinct correlates. We administered parent-report (n = 3875, mean age = 8.9) and youth self-report (n = 579, mean age = 15.1) versions of TIDES-13 in a population and community-based sample. We conducted exploratory/confirmatory factor analyses and regression analyses to examine the dimensionality of TIDES-13 and the associations of the scale with age, gender, anxiety, depression, ODD, ADHD traits, and the Affective Reactivity Index (ARI). A higher-order model with a global irritability dimension and four subdimensions, including proneness to anger (PA), internalized negative emotional reactivity (iNER), externalized negative emotional reactivity (eNER), and reactive aggression (RA), showed good to excellent fit in both parent-report and self-report. The global irritability dimension showed excellent internal reliability (⍵Total; parent-report = 0.97, ⍵Total; self-report = 0.95), explained a majority of the item variance (⍵Hierarchical; parent-report = 0.94, ⍵Hierarchical; self-report = 0.90), and was moderately correlated with the ARI (rparent = 0.68, rself = 0.77). Subdimensions PA, eNER, and RA were negatively associated with age in males, whereas iNER was positively associated with age in females. Traits of ODD and ADHD were associated primarily with the global irritability dimension, whereas iNER was strongly associated with anxiety and depression traits over and above the global irritability dimension. Our results support a unidimensional interpretation of irritability in a population sample. However, limited evidence of specific behavioral, age, and sex correlates with particular irritability subdimensions may warrant further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Annie Dupuis
- Department of Biostatistics, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Paul D Arnold
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, The Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research & Education, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Christie L Burton
- Department of Psychiatry, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Neurosciences and Mental Health/Psychiatry, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Jennifer Crosbie
- Department of Psychiatry, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Neurosciences and Mental Health/Psychiatry, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Russell J Schachar
- Department of Psychiatry, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
- Neurosciences and Mental Health/Psychiatry, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.
| | - Tomer Levy
- Department of Psychiatry, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Biostatistics, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Behavior Regulation Service, Geha Mental Health Center, Petach-Tikva, Israel
- Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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8
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Kirk N, Hirsch E, Alam T, Wakschlag LS, Wiggins JL, Roy AK. A pragmatic, clinically optimized approach to characterizing adolescent irritability: Validation of parent- and adolescent reports on the Multidimensional Assessment Profile Scales-Temper Loss Scale. Int J Methods Psychiatr Res 2023; 32:e1986. [PMID: 37702276 PMCID: PMC10654814 DOI: 10.1002/mpr.1986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Revised: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Heightened irritability in adolescence is an impairing symptom that can lead to negative outcomes in adulthood, but effective screening tools are lacking. This study aimed to derive clinically-optimized cutoff scores using the Multidimensional Assessment Profile Scales-Temper Loss (MAPS-TL) to pragmatically identify adolescents with impairing irritability. METHODS A diverse sample of 79 adolescents and their parents completed the MAPS-TL-Youth version. Stepwise logistic regression analyses were used to determine the items associated with impairment, and receiver operator characteristic (ROC) analyses were conducted to derive optimal cutoff scores. RESULTS Three parent-report items (become frustrated easily, angry/irritable/grouchy throughout the day, difficulty calming down when angry) and two youth-report items (hit/shove/kick when lost temper, difficulty calming down when angry) were strongly associated with impairment. Optimal cutoff scores garnered very good sensitivity (91%, 73%) and specificity (77%, 75%) for the parent- and youth-report versions respectively. Scores above these cutoffs were associated with increased internalizing and externalizing problems and lower overall quality of life. CONCLUSIONS The MAPS-TL clinically optimized irritability scores show preliminary validity for implementation in practical settings to efficiently identify adolescents who need additional evaluation and/or intervention. Further research is important to validate these cutoff scores with larger population-based samples and real-world settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan Kirk
- Department of PsychologySan Diego State UniversitySan DiegoCaliforniaUSA
- San Diego State University Research FoundationSan DiegoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Emily Hirsch
- Department of PsychologyFordham UniversityBronxNew YorkUSA
| | - Tasmia Alam
- Department of PsychologySan Diego State UniversitySan DiegoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Lauren S. Wakschlag
- Department of Medical Social SciencesFeinberg School of MedicineChicagoIllinoisUSA
- Institute for Innovations in Developmental SciencesNorthwestern UniversityChicagoIllinoisUSA
| | - Jillian Lee Wiggins
- Department of PsychologySan Diego State UniversitySan DiegoCaliforniaUSA
- Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical PsychologySan Diego State University/University of CaliforniaSan DiegoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Amy K. Roy
- Department of PsychologyFordham UniversityBronxNew YorkUSA
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Hirsch E, Alam T, Kirk N, Bevans KB, Briggs‐Gowan M, Wakschlag LS, Wiggins JL, Roy AK. Developmentally specified characterization of the irritability spectrum at early school age: Implications for pragmatic mental health screening. Int J Methods Psychiatr Res 2023; 32:e1985. [PMID: 37712753 PMCID: PMC10654842 DOI: 10.1002/mpr.1985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Revised: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Developmentally specified measures that identify clinically salient irritability are needed for early school-age youth to meaningfully capture this transdiagnostic risk factor for psychopathology. Thus, the current study modeled the normal:abnormal irritability spectrum and generated a clinically optimized screening tool for this population. METHODS The irritability spectrum was modeled via the youth version of the Multidimensional Assessment Profile Scales-Temper Loss Scale (MAPS-TL-Youth) in children (n = 474; 6.0-8.9 years) using item response theory (IRT). Both cross-cutting core irritability items from the early childhood version and new developmentally specific items were included. Items uniquely associated with impairment were identified and used to derive a brief, clinically optimized irritability screener. Longitudinal data were then utilized to test the predictive utility of this clinically optimized screener in preadolescence (n = 348; 8.0-12.9 years). RESULTS Most children exhibit irritability regularly, but daily occurrence was rare. Of the top 10 most severe items from the IRT analyses, 9 were from the developmentally specific items added for the MAPS-TL Youth version. Two items associated with concurrent impairment were identified for the clinically optimized irritability screener ("Become frustrated easily" and "Act irritable"). The MAPS-TL-Youth clinically optimized screener demonstrated good sensitivity (69%) and specificity (84%) in relation to concurrent DSM 5 irritability-related diagnoses. Youth with elevated scores on the screener at early school age (ESA) had more than 7x greater odds of irritability-related psychopathology at pre-adolescence. CONCLUSIONS The MAPS-TL-Youth characterized the developmental spectrum of irritability at ESA and a clinically optimized screener showed promise at predicting psychopathology risk. Rigorous testing of clinical applications is a critical next step.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Hirsch
- Department of PsychologyFordham UniversityBronxNew YorkUSA
| | - Tasmia Alam
- Department of PsychologySan Diego State UniversitySan DiegoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Nathan Kirk
- Department of PsychologySan Diego State UniversitySan DiegoCaliforniaUSA
| | | | - Margaret Briggs‐Gowan
- Department of PsychiatryUniversity of Connecticut Health CenterFarmingtonConnecticutUSA
| | - Lauren S. Wakschlag
- Department of Medical Social SciencesFeinberg School of Medicine and Institute for Innovations in Developmental SciencesNorthwestern UniversityChicagoIllinoisUSA
| | - Jillian L. Wiggins
- Department of PsychologySan Diego State UniversitySan DiegoCaliforniaUSA
- SDSU/University of CaliforniaSan Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical PsychologySan DiegoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Amy K. Roy
- Department of PsychologyFordham UniversityBronxNew YorkUSA
- NYU Grossman School of MedicineNew YorkNew YorkUSA
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10
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Evans SC, Shaughnessy S, Karlovich AR. Future Directions in Youth Irritability Research. JOURNAL OF CLINICAL CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHOLOGY : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL FOR THE SOCIETY OF CLINICAL CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHOLOGY, AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION, DIVISION 53 2023; 52:716-734. [PMID: 37487108 DOI: 10.1080/15374416.2023.2209180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/26/2023]
Abstract
Research on irritability in children and adolescents has proliferated over the last 20 years. The evidence shows the clinical and developmental significance of irritable mood and behavior in youth, and it has led to significant changes in mental health classification, diagnosis, and services. At the same time, this research (including our own) has led to relatively little new in terms of practical, empirically based guidance to improve interventions and outcomes. In this article, we briefly summarize some of these developments and current evidence-based practices. We then put forth two key substantive challenges (the "whats") for future research to address: (a) the need for more effective treatments, especially evaluating and adapting evidence-based treatments that are already well-established for problems related to irritability (e.g., cognitive-behavioral therapies for internalizing and externalizing problems); and (b) the need for a better mechanistic understanding of irritability's phenomenology (e.g., phasic vs. tonic irritability, how frustration unfolds) and putative underlying mechanisms (e.g., cognitive control, threat and reward dysfunction). Lastly, we suggest three methodological approaches (the "hows") that may expedite progress in such areas: (a) ecological momentary assessment, (b) digital health applications, and (c) leveraging existing datasets. We hope this article will be useful for students and early-career researchers interested in tackling some of these important questions to better meet the needs of severely irritable youth.
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11
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Zhang Y, Silver JI, Perlman G, Kotov R, Klein DN, Eaton NR. Longitudinal Stability and Interrelations of Tonic and Phasic Irritability in Adolescent Girls. Res Child Adolesc Psychopathol 2023; 51:1343-1355. [PMID: 37155026 DOI: 10.1007/s10802-023-01072-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/01/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Irritability is a transdiagnostic feature and a common mental health problem in adolescence. Prior studies indicate that irritability is composed of two correlated but separable dimensions, tonic irritability (i.e., irritable mood) and phasic irritability (i.e., temper outbursts), which are respectively associated with internalizing and externalizing outcomes. However, little is known about the stability and interrelations of tonic and phasic irritability. The current study examined the longitudinal interplay between tonic and phasic irritability during adolescence. A community sample of 544 girls (age 13.5-15.5 years) was assessed at 5 waves (over 3 years, in 9-month intervals). A random-intercept cross-lagged panel model was used to examine the within-person stability and longitudinal interrelations of tonic and phasic irritability. Pseudo-indicator models were used to help analyze all available data. Results suggest that tonic and phasic irritability had distinct patterns of development and co-development. Between individuals, tonic and phasic irritability showed moderate rank-order stability and high concurrent correlations. Within individuals, phasic irritability was found to positively predict both tonic and phasic irritability at the subsequent wave, whereas tonic irritability did not predict later phasic irritability and showed weaker within-person stability. These results suggest that increased or decreased phasic irritability in adolescent girls may signify continued increase or decrease in both tonic and phasic irritability. The study was among the first to demonstrate the discriminant validity of tonic and phasic irritability from a developmental perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yinghao Zhang
- Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA
| | - Jamilah I Silver
- Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA
| | - Greg Perlman
- Department of Psychiatry, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, USA
| | - Roman Kotov
- Department of Psychiatry, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, USA
| | - Daniel N Klein
- Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA
| | - Nicholas R Eaton
- Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, USA
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12
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Silver J, Bufferd SJ, Dougherty LR, Goldstein BL, Carlson GA, Klein DN. Is the distinction between tonic and phasic irritability meaningful in 3-year-old children? Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2023; 32:1755-1763. [PMID: 35523899 DOI: 10.1007/s00787-022-01995-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 04/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Irritability encompasses both normative misbehavior in early childhood and clinically significant problems across development. Recent studies have distinguished between tonic (i.e., persistently angry or grumpy mood) and phasic (i.e., temper tantrums or outbursts) forms of irritability and shown that they have different implications for psychopathology and functioning. However, data on this distinction in young (i.e., preschool aged) children are nonexistent. We utilized data from a longitudinal study of a community sample of 462 3-year-olds followed to age 15. We conducted confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) using items from a diagnostic interview and several parent-report inventories and examined concurrent and prospective associations with clinically relevant variables. The CFA identified dimensions consistent with tonic and phasic irritability. Tonic irritability was independently associated with concurrent parent-reported temperamental negative affectivity and surgency, and depressive and oppositional defiant (ODD) disorders, and predicted higher rates of disruptive behavior disorders (DBD) and suicidal behavior in later childhood and adolescence. Phasic irritability was independently associated with concurrent laboratory observations of child impulsivity, parent-reported temperamental negative affectivity, surgency, and low effortful control, maladaptive parenting, and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and ODD, but it did not predict later psychopathology. Tonic and phasic irritability are separable in 3-year-old children, but their correlates and outcomes are not as distinct as in older youth. This may reflect the greater difficulty characterizing normative and pathological irritability in the preschool period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamilah Silver
- Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA.
| | | | | | | | | | - Daniel N Klein
- Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA
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13
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Louveau C, Ellul P, Iftimovici A, Dubreucq J, Laidi C, Leyrolle Q, Purper-Ouakil D, Jacquemont S, Lyonnet S, Barthélémy C, Krebs MO, Bai J, Olivier P, Chaumette B. Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD) without boundaries: research and interventions beyond classifications. J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2023; 130:473-479. [PMID: 36719463 DOI: 10.1007/s00702-023-02586-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
On June 2022, the 2nd Webinar "Neurodevelopmental Disorders (NDD) without boundaries took place at the Imagine Institute in Paris and was broadcasted live and in replay. The aim of this webinar is to address NDD in a dimensional rather than in a categorical approach. Several speakers were invited to present their researches on the subject. Classifications in NDD were discussed: irritability in NDD, involvement of the immune system in neurodevelopment, nutrition and gut microbiota modulate brain inflammation and neurodevelopment, co-occurring conditions in autistic adolescents and adults without intellectual disability. Classifications in psychiatric disorders were asked: mapping the effect of genes on cognition and autism risk, epigenetics and symptomatic trajectory in neurodevelopmental disorders, the autism-schizophrenia continuum in two examples: minor neurological signs and EEG microstates, the cerebellum in schizophrenia and autism: from imaging to intervention perspectives. Both genetic and environmental factors, along with clinical and imaging features, argue toward a continnum between NDD but also with adult psychiatric presentations. This new paradigm could modify the therapeutic strategy, with the development of large-spectrum treatments or new psychotherapies addressing co-occuring symptoms. The complexity and the heterogeneity of NDD apply well to the next scientific and political challenges: developing international convergence to push back the frontiers of our knowledge. This article is a summary of the 2nd webinar "Neurodevelopmental Disorders (NDD) without boundaries: research and interventions beyond classifications" sponsored by the French National Academy of Medicine, the autism and neurodevelopmental disorders scientific interest group (GIS), the International Research Network Dev-O-Psy and the French Institute of Psychiatry (GDR3557). Oral presentations are available as a replay on the following website (in French): https://autisme-neurodev.org/evenements/2022/04/12/tnd-sans-frontieres-la-recherche-et-les-interventions-au-dela-des-classifications/ .
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Pierre Ellul
- Excellence Centre for Autism and Neuro-Developmental Disorders, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department, Robert Debré Hospital, Paris Cité University, Paris, France
- Immunology, Immunopathology, Immunotherapy, INSERM U959, Sorbonne University, Paris, France
| | - Anton Iftimovici
- GHU-Paris Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Paris, France
- Université de Paris, INSERM U1266, Institute of Psychiatry and Neuroscience of Paris, Paris, France
| | - Julien Dubreucq
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department, Saint-Etienne University Hospital and CNRS UMR 5229, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience Marc Jeannerod, University Lyon 1, Bron, France
| | | | - Quentin Leyrolle
- Univ. Bordeaux, INRAE, Bordeaux INP, NutriNeuro, UMR 1286, Bordeaux, France
| | - Diane Purper-Ouakil
- CHU Montpellier-Saint Eloi Hospital, University of Montpellier, Unit of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (MPEA1), Montpellier, France
- Center for Research in Epidemiology and Population Health (CESP), INSERM U 1018, Paris-Saclay University, Villejuif, France
| | - Sebastien Jacquemont
- Department of Pediatrics, Sainte Justine Hospital Research Center, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, H4A3J1, Canada
| | - Stanislas Lyonnet
- INSERM-UMR1163, Université Paris Cité, Institut Imagine, Paris, France
| | - Catherine Barthélémy
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Tours, Tours, France
- Autism and NDD GIS (GIS Autisme et Troubles du Neurodéveloppement), Paris, France
| | - Marie-Odile Krebs
- GHU-Paris Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Paris, France
- Université de Paris, INSERM U1266, Institute of Psychiatry and Neuroscience of Paris, Paris, France
- Autism and NDD GIS (GIS Autisme et Troubles du Neurodéveloppement), Paris, France
| | - Jing Bai
- Université de Paris, INSERM U1266, Institute of Psychiatry and Neuroscience of Paris, Paris, France
| | - Paul Olivier
- Autism and NDD GIS (GIS Autisme et Troubles du Neurodéveloppement), Paris, France.
| | - Boris Chaumette
- GHU-Paris Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Paris, France
- Université de Paris, INSERM U1266, Institute of Psychiatry and Neuroscience of Paris, Paris, France
- Autism and NDD GIS (GIS Autisme et Troubles du Neurodéveloppement), Paris, France
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
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14
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Silver J, Mackin DM, Bufferd SJ, Dougherty LR, Goldstein BL, Carlson GA, Klein DN. Tonic and phasic irritability in 6-year-old children: differential correlates and outcomes. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2023; 64:234-243. [PMID: 36029221 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.13688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Irritability is a common and clinically important problem in children and adolescents and a risk factor for later psychopathology and impairment. Irritability can manifest in both tonic (e.g., irritable, touchy mood) and phasic (e.g., temper outburst) forms, and recent studies of adolescents suggest that they predict different outcomes. However, no studies have examined whether tonic and phasic irritability are empirically distinguishable in 6-year-old children and whether they have distinct correlates and outcomes. METHOD We utilized data from a longitudinal study of an unselected community sample of four hundred fifty-two 6-year-olds followed at 3-year intervals to age 15. We conducted confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) using relevant items from a diagnostic interview and several parent-report inventories. RESULTS The CFA identified dimensions that were consistent with tonic and phasic irritability. Tonic irritability was independently associated with concurrent parent-reported temperamental negative affectivity and internalizing and externalizing disorders at age 6 and predicted higher rates of internalizing psychopathology, and suicidal ideation, in adolescence. Phasic irritability was independently associated with concurrent parent-reported temperamental negative affectivity, surgency, and low effortful control, maladaptive parenting styles and practices, and externalizing disorders at age 6, and predicted higher rates of externalizing psychopathology in adolescence. CONCLUSIONS Tonic and phasic irritability in 6-year-old children appear to be distinguishable constructs with different temperament and parenting correlates and psychopathological outcomes. Distinguishing these components has implications for research on the etiology and pathophysiology of irritability and developing effective treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamilah Silver
- Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Daniel M Mackin
- Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Daniel N Klein
- Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
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15
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Carlson GA, Singh MK, Amaya-Jackson L, Benton TD, Althoff RR, Bellonci C, Bostic JQ, Chua JD, Findling RL, Galanter CA, Gerson RS, Sorter MT, Stringaris A, Waxmonsky JG, McClellan JM. Narrative Review: Impairing Emotional Outbursts: What They Are and What We Should Do About Them. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2023; 62:135-150. [PMID: 35358662 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaac.2022.03.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2021] [Revised: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Impairing emotional outbursts, defined by extreme anger or distress in response to relatively ordinary frustrations and disappointments, impact all mental health care systems, emergency departments, schools, and juvenile justice programs. However, the prevalence, outcome, and impact of outbursts are difficult to quantify because they are transdiagnostic and not explicitly defined by current diagnostic nosology. Research variably addresses outbursts under the rubrics of tantrums, anger, irritability, aggression, rage attacks, or emotional and behavioral dysregulation. Consistent methods for identifying and assessing impairing emotional outbursts across development or systems of care are lacking. METHOD The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Presidential Task Force (2019-2021) conducted a narrative review addressing impairing emotional outbursts within the limitations of the existing literature and independent of diagnosis. RESULTS Extrapolating from the existing literature, best estimates suggest that outbursts occur in 4%-10% of community children (preschoolers through adolescents). Impairing emotional outbursts may respond to successful treatment of the primary disorder, especially for some children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder whose medications have been optimized. However, outbursts are generally multi-determined and often represent maladaptive or deficient coping strategies and responses. CONCLUSION Evidence-based strategies are necessary to address factors that trigger, reinforce, or excuse the behaviors and to enhance problem-solving skills. Currently available interventions yield only modest effect sizes for treatment effect. More specific definitions and measures are needed to track and quantify outbursts and to design and assess the effectiveness of interventions. Better treatments are clearly needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabrielle A Carlson
- Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, Putnam Hall, South Campus, Stony Brook, New York.
| | | | | | - Tami D Benton
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
| | | | | | - Jeff Q Bostic
- MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, Washington, DC
| | - Jaclyn Datar Chua
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia; University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
| | | | - Cathryn A Galanter
- SUNY Downstate, Brooklyn, New York; Kings County Hospital Center, Brooklyn, New York
| | | | - Michael T Sorter
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital and the University of Cincinnati, Ohio
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16
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Andrade BF, Aitken M, Brodkin S, Sawrikar V. Multiple needs and multiple treatments. What's a clinician to do? Update on the psychosocial treatment of disruptive behaviours in childhood. Curr Opin Psychiatry 2022; 35:409-416. [PMID: 36125210 PMCID: PMC9594137 DOI: 10.1097/yco.0000000000000823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW There are a wide range of psychosocial treatment options, delivered in different modalities, for children with disruptive behaviour. However, clinicians face many challenges in ensuring the empirically supported treatments (ESTs) they select will be effective for their patient. This has prompted studies to generate knowledge on how to improve treatment outcomes for children with disruptive behaviour. This review identifies the major challenges in treatment selection as well as emerging research seeking to improve outcomes. RECENT FINDINGS This review emphasizes the salience of the research-practice gap associated with establishing ESTs using narrow definitions of clinical problems. Recent research is reviewed considering the complex determinants of disruptive behaviours, including parent and family factors that influence outcomes. The review subsequently outlines recent advances in research and clinical practice guidelines aiming to surmount these challenges. Key advances discussed include examining the most impactful components of ESTs, personalizing interventions by targeting core dysfunction underlying behaviour, and addressing parent factors including mental health and cultural relevance to improve outcomes. SUMMARY Thorough assessment of patients' needs, combined with knowledge of treatment response predictors, are recommended to determine the most suitable treatment plan. Recent advances have focused on developing and designing interventions that meet needs in a way that is flexible and tailored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brendan F. Andrade
- Margaret and Wallace McCain Centre for Child Youth and Family Mental Health, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- Cundill Centre for Child and Youth Depression, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
- Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto, Toronto Canada
| | - Madison Aitken
- Margaret and Wallace McCain Centre for Child Youth and Family Mental Health, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- Cundill Centre for Child and Youth Depression, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
| | - Sabrina Brodkin
- Margaret and Wallace McCain Centre for Child Youth and Family Mental Health, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
- Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto, Toronto Canada
| | - Vilas Sawrikar
- School of Health in Social Science, University of Edinburgh, UK
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17
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Damme KSF, Norton ES, Briggs-Gowan MJ, Wakschlag LS, Mittal VA. Developmental patterning of irritability enhances prediction of psychopathology in preadolescence: Improving RDoC with developmental science. JOURNAL OF PSYCHOPATHOLOGY AND CLINICAL SCIENCE 2022; 131:556-566. [PMID: 35901387 PMCID: PMC9439570 DOI: 10.1037/abn0000655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The transdiagnostic importance of irritability in psychopathology has been demonstrated. However, the contribution of developmentally unfolding irritability patterns to specific clinical and neural outcomes remains an important and unanswered question. To address this gap in the literature, irritability patterns of 110 youth from a large, diverse cohort were assessed at preschool age and again at early school age (∼2.5 years later) with a dimensional irritability scale designed to capture the normal:abnormal spectrum. At preadolescence (∼6 years later), clinical outcomes (internalizing/externalizing symptoms) derived from a semistructured clinical interview and neural outcomes (characterized as gray-matter-volume abnormalities) were assessed. For clinical outcomes, preschool-age irritability alone was a transdiagnostic predictor of internalizing and externalizing symptoms at preadolescence. However, in a model including both preschool and early school age, irritability provided greater specificity, suggesting that higher irritability at early school age related to elevated preadolescent externalizing but not internalizing symptoms. In terms of neural outcomes, elevated preschool irritability did not predict preadolescent gray-matter-volume abnormality; however, irritability at early school age demonstrated an interactive effect among regions, with reduced volume in preadolescence emotional regions (e.g., amygdala, medial orbitofrontal cortex) and increased volume in other regions (e.g., cerebellum). These complex patterns highlight the contribution of a developmentally informed approach, the National Institute of Mental Health's Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) approach, to yield transdiagnostic phenotypes and multiple units of analysis. Capturing these individual differences and developmental heterogeneity can provide critical insight into the unfolding of mechanisms underlying emerging psychopathology. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Elizabeth S Norton
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University
| | | | - Lauren S Wakschlag
- Institute for Innovations in Developmental Sciences (DevSci), Northwestern University
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18
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Preschool Irritability Predicts Adolescent Psychopathology and Functional Impairment: A 12-Year Prospective Study. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2022; 61:554-564.e1. [PMID: 34481916 PMCID: PMC9951107 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaac.2021.08.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Revised: 07/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The long-term clinical and functional outcomes of preschool-age irritability are unknown. This study examined longitudinal associations of preschool irritability with psychiatric disorders and functional impairment assessed in adolescence in a large community sample. METHOD A total of 453 children were assessed at age 3 and again at ages 12 and/or 15. At age 3, parents were interviewed about their child's irritability, other psychiatric symptoms, and functional impairment with the Preschool Age Psychiatric Assessment (PAPA). In adolescence, both parents and youths were interviewed with the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children-Present and Lifetime (K-SADS-PL) to assess youth psychopathology and functional impairment; youths also completed the UCLA Life Stress Interview (LSI) to assess different domains of functioning. Lastly, youths and parents completed the Children's Depression Inventory 2 (CDI 2) and the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders (SCARED). RESULTS Irritability at age 3 predicted internalizing and externalizing disorders in adolescence; parent-reported anxiety and depressive symptoms; and greater functional impairment, including poorer peer functioning, poorer physical health, and antidepressant and educational service use, even after controlling for baseline psychiatric disorders. All longitudinal associations persisted after further adjusting for well-established early life risk markers for psychopathology. CONCLUSION The findings of this study underscore the clinical significance and predictive power of preschool irritability and provide support for its use in large-scale identification and intervention efforts.
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19
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Understanding Phasic Irritability: Anger and Distress in Children's Temper Outbursts. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 2022; 53:317-329. [PMID: 33547990 DOI: 10.1007/s10578-021-01126-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/15/2021] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Pediatric irritability can be highly impairing and is implicated in adverse outcomes. The phasic component, characterized by temper outbursts, is a frequent impetus to seek treatment. This study tested whether a previously described anger-distress model of tantrums applies to an outpatient sample of school-age children with clinically impairing temper outbursts (TO; 5.0-9.9 years; N = 86), and examined the clinical relevance of resulting factors through associations with measures of psychopathology, and differences between children with TO and two groups without: children with ADHD (n = 60) and healthy controls (n = 45). Factor analyses established a three-factor model: High Anger, Low Anger, Distress. These factors had unique associations with measures of irritability, externalizing problems, and internalizing problems in the TO group. Additionally, an interaction between groups and outburst factors emerged. Results provide evidence for the presence and clinical utility of the anger-distress model in children's outbursts and suggest avenues for future pediatric irritability research.
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20
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Evans SC, Corteselli KA, Edelman A, Scott H, Weisz JR. Is Irritability a Top Problem in Youth Mental Health Care? A Multi-informant, Multi-method Investigation. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 2022:10.1007/s10578-021-01301-8. [PMID: 35064392 DOI: 10.1007/s10578-021-01301-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Irritability is often described as a common problem affecting youth referred for mental health services; however, little is known about the prevalence and nature of irritability as a focus of treatment. We examined assessment data from a diverse sample of youths (N = 206; ages 7-15; 52% male, 48% female; 33% White, 27% Black, 25% Latinx) referred for outpatient treatment of emotional and behavioral concerns. Caregivers and youths completed nomothetic (standardized checklist) and idiographic (free response) measures at intake. Irritability was identified as a top problem (TP) in 58% of cases, commonly reported by caregivers (38%), youths (42%), or both (23%)-rates that were significantly greater than those of other TP domains (depression, anxiety, ADHD, conduct, and defiance). Further analyses identified clinical correlates of irritability TPs, with results supporting the incremental utility of multiple informants and methods. Findings suggest that irritability is among the most common problems for which families seek youth treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Spencer C Evans
- Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, USA.
| | | | - Audrey Edelman
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Hannah Scott
- Department of Psychological Science, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA
| | - John R Weisz
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
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21
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Temperament and psychopathology in early childhood predict body dissatisfaction and eating disorder symptoms in adolescence. Behav Res Ther 2022; 151:104039. [PMID: 35139437 PMCID: PMC8923907 DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2022.104039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Revised: 12/10/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Eating disorders (ED) are highly impairing and dangerous conditions that typically onset in adolescence. However, very few prospective studies have examined early childhood risk factors for ED pathology. Given well-established links between temperament and psychopathology, examination of these factors could inform prevention efforts. The current multi-method, multi-informant prospective longitudinal study tested whether laboratory-observed and parent-reported temperament and psychiatric disorders at ages 3 and 6 (N = 609) predict body dissatisfaction at ages 12 and 15 and dimensional symptoms of EDs (anorexia nervosa [AN] and bulimia nervosa [BN]) at age 15 (n = 458) in a community sample. Results indicated that early childhood temperament (positive and negative emotionality, perceptual sensitivity, impulsivity, less shyness) and childhood psychopathology (anxiety, oppositional defiant, attention deficit/hyperactivity, and depressive disorders), predicted body dissatisfaction in adolescence. In addition, childhood perceptual sensitivity and oppositional defiant and depressive disorders predicted AN symptoms. Demographic characteristics (female sex, lower levels of fathers' education, and parental marital status) in childhood predicted body dissatisfaction and AN symptoms. No temperament or psychopathology variables predicted BN symptoms. This study is an important first step toward continuing to identify areas of focus for future research on early childhood risk factors for ED symptoms and body dissatisfaction.
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22
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Silver J, Carlson GA, Olino TM, Perlman G, Mackin D, Kotov R, Klein DN. Differential outcomes of tonic and phasic irritability in adolescent girls. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2021; 62:1220-1227. [PMID: 33719059 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.13402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Irritable mood is a transdiagnostic clinical feature that is present in multiple psychiatric disorders. Although irritability is frequently examined as a unitary construct, two dimensions of irritability, tonic (i.e., irritable mood) and phasic (i.e., temper outbursts), have been hypothesized. However, few studies have examined whether tonic and phasic irritability are empirically separable and predict different forms of psychopathology. METHODS We utilized data from a longitudinal study of a community sample of 550 girls (age 13.5-15.5 years) followed at 9-month intervals for 3 years. We conducted exploratory factor analysis (EFA) using items from three self-report inventories: the International Personality Item Pool Anger scale, Temperament and Affectivity Inventory Anger scale, and Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire Anger scale. RESULTS The EFA identified dimensions that were consistent with tonic and phasic irritability. Tonic irritability at baseline independently predicted the development of depressive disorders and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) in subsequent waves. Phasic irritability independently predicted a decreased probability of GAD, but an increased probability of oppositional defiant, conduct, and substance use disorder, and greater risky sexual behavior and relational aggression during the follow-up. CONCLUSIONS Tonic and phasic irritability appear to be separable constructs with unique implications for later psychopathology and related behavior among adolescent girls. It is important to consider this distinction in research on the etiology and pathophysiology of irritability and developing effective treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamilah Silver
- Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | | | - Thomas M Olino
- Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Greg Perlman
- Department of Psychiatry, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Daniel Mackin
- Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Roman Kotov
- Department of Psychiatry, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Daniel N Klein
- Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
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23
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Hodgdon EA, Yu Q, Kryza-Lacombe M, Liuzzi MT, Aspe GI, Menacho VC, Bozzetto L, Dougherty L, Wiggins JL. Irritability-related neural responses to frustrative nonreward in adolescents with trauma histories: A preliminary investigation. Dev Psychobiol 2021; 63:e22167. [PMID: 34292612 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Revised: 06/08/2021] [Accepted: 06/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Irritability, conceptualized as a lowered frustration response threshold to blocked goal attainment (i.e., frustrative nonreward), is a common, detrimental symptom in adolescence. Yet, neural mechanisms of irritability are not well understood. This preliminary study aims to identify irritability-related neural patterns using a novel frustrative nonreward paradigm. Our study used a diverse sample of N = 31 non-White adolescent participants (mean age 14.53 years, SD = 1.74; 83.87% Hispanic/Latinx) to improve generalizability. During fMRI acquisition, participants performed a child-friendly monetary incentive delay task, modified to provide incorrect, negative feedback on performance. Irritability was associated with alterations in amygdala connectivity with basal ganglia, prefrontal, temporal, and parietal regions, and in activation of prefrontal and posterior cortical structures. Across clusters, youths with greater irritability showed activation/connectivity differences between reward blocked versus received conditions in the opposite direction compared to youths with lowered irritability. Alterations in amygdala-temporoparietal connectivity and lingual gyrus activation demonstrated an altered irritability-related recovery effect from the previous trial. These findings support the central role of frustrative nonreward as a key irritability pathway. Our work is one of the first to document neural correlates of difficult recovery from frustration characteristic of irritability and provides insight into novel treatment targets for irritability in diverse populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A Hodgdon
- Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Qiongru Yu
- Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego State University/University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Maria Kryza-Lacombe
- Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego State University/University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Michael T Liuzzi
- Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Gabriela Ibarra Aspe
- Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California, USA
| | | | - Lauren Bozzetto
- Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Lea Dougherty
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Jillian Lee Wiggins
- Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California, USA.,Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego State University/University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California, USA
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24
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Leibenluft E, Kircanski K. Chronic Irritability in Youth: A Reprise on Challenges and Opportunities Toward Meeting Unmet Clinical Needs. Child Adolesc Psychiatr Clin N Am 2021; 30:667-683. [PMID: 34053693 DOI: 10.1016/j.chc.2021.04.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
This commentary focuses on irritability, one subtype of emotion dysregulation. We review literature demonstrating that irritability is not a developmental phenotype of bipolar disorder, but is longitudinally associated with unipolar depression and anxiety and genetically associated with unipolar depression, anxiety, and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. We describe how irritability is amenable to translational research, in part because of the relevance of frustrative nonreward, a model developed in rodents, to human irritability. Last, we demonstrate how such research has suggested a novel exposure-based intervention for irritability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellen Leibenluft
- Section on Mood Dysregulation and Neuroscience, Intramural Research Program, National Institute of Mental Health, Building 15K, MSC 2670, Bethesda, MD 20892-2670, USA.
| | - Katharina Kircanski
- Section on Mood Dysregulation and Neuroscience, Intramural Research Program, National Institute of Mental Health, Building 15K, MSC 2670, Bethesda, MD 20892-2670, USA
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25
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Abstract
Limited research has examined precursors/risk factors for adolescent irritability. This study examines continuity of irritability from early childhood to adolescence and identifies antecedents of adolescent irritability. Across self-reports and mother-reports, evidence was found for continuity of irritability. A range of variables assessed at age 3 predicted irritability at age 15. These findings suggest that adolescent irritability is characterized by distinct developmental pathways from age 3 that have potential to result in an irritable phenotype at age 15. Adolescent-reported and mother-reported irritability may be capturing distinct underlying constructs of irritability; both should be considered in assessments of adolescent irritability.
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Wilson MK, Cornacchio D, Brotman MA, Comer JS. Measuring Irritability in Early Childhood: A Psychometric Evaluation of the Affective Reactivity Index in a Clinical Sample of 3- to 8-Year-Old Children. Assessment 2021; 29:1473-1481. [PMID: 34060361 DOI: 10.1177/10731911211020078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The parent-report Affective Reactivity Index (ARI-P) is the most studied brief scale specifically developed to assess irritability, but relatively little is known about its performance in early childhood (i.e., ≤8 years). Support in such populations is particularly important given developmental shifts in what constitutes normative irritability across childhood. We examined the performance of the ARI-P in a diverse, treatment-seeking sample of children ages 3 to 8 years (N = 115; mean age = 5.56 years; 58.4% from ethnic/racial minority backgrounds). In this sample, confirmatory factor analysis supported the single-factor structure of the ARI-P previously identified with older youth. ARI-P scores showed large associations with another irritability index, as well as small-to-large associations with aggression, anxiety, depression, and attention problems, supporting the convergent and concurrent validity of the ARI-P when used with children in this younger age range. Findings support the ARI-P as a promising parent-report tool for assessing irritability in early childhood, particularly in clinical samples.
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Dougherty LR, Galano MM, Chad-Friedman E, Olino TM, Bufferd SJ, Klein DN. Using Item Response Theory to Compare Irritability Measures in Early Adolescent and Childhood Samples. Assessment 2021; 28:918-927. [PMID: 32613838 PMCID: PMC8724905 DOI: 10.1177/1073191120936363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/26/2023]
Abstract
Limited psychometric information is available to guide best practices for measuring youth irritability. This report compares performance of irritability measures using item response theory (IRT). Study 1 used a sample of 482 early adolescents and compared the parent- and youth-report affective reactivity index (ARI) and irritability factors derived from the parent-report Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and clinician-administered Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders (K-SADS). Study 2 combined data from three childhood samples (N = 811) and compared performance of the parent-report ARI and CBCL and the clinician-administered Preschool Age Psychiatric Assessment (PAPA). The ARI emerged as the best measure of childhood irritability across the developmental periods, while the CBCL and K-SADS provided an adequate amount of information in early adolescents. No measure reliably assessed irritability at modest severity levels. Using IRT across large pools of developmental samples and measures is needed to guide the field in the measurement of youth irritability.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Maria M. Galano
- University of Maryland, College Park, MD USA
- University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA USA
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Oshri A, Carlson MW, Duprey EB, Liu S, Huffman LG, Kogan SM. Child Abuse and Neglect, Callous-Unemotional Traits, and Substance Use Problems: the Moderating Role of Stress Response Reactivity. JOURNAL OF CHILD & ADOLESCENT TRAUMA 2020; 13:389-398. [PMID: 33269039 PMCID: PMC7683688 DOI: 10.1007/s40653-019-00291-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Young adults who experienced child abuse and neglect (CAN) are at significant risk for callous-unemotional traits and substance use problems. Research shows that compromised self-regulation may increase risk for these maladaptive outcomes. In the present cross-sectional study, we examined the moderating role of self-regulation, indexed by heart rate variability reactivity, in the indirect link between CAN and alcohol and other drug use problems via callous-unemotional traits. We utilized a sample of mostly female undergraduate students (N = 130, 81% Female; M age = 20.72). We hypothesized that (a) CAN and alcohol or other drug use problems would be associated indirectly via elevations in callous-unemotional traits, and (b) that this indirect association would be exacerbated by elevated heart rate variability reactivity. Results indicated that increased callous-unemotional traits underlain in the link between CAN and alcohol or other drug use problems. Further, this indirect link was exacerbated among youth with elevated heart rate variability reactivity. These findings have significant implications for prevention by demonstrating that physiological self-regulation is important to target in substance use prevention among collegiate samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Assaf Oshri
- Youth Development Institute, Department of Human Development and Family Science, University of Georgia, 105 Foster Rd, Pound Hall 208, Athens, GA 30606 USA
- The Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Graduate Program at the University of Georgia, Tucker Hall Rm. 422, 310 E Campus Rd., Athens, GA 30602 USA
| | - Mathew William Carlson
- University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Center on Children, Families, and the Law, Lincoln, NE USA
| | - Erinn Bernstein Duprey
- Youth Development Institute, Department of Human Development and Family Science, University of Georgia, 105 Foster Rd, Pound Hall 208, Athens, GA 30606 USA
- University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642 USA
| | - Sihong Liu
- Youth Development Institute, Department of Human Development and Family Science, University of Georgia, 105 Foster Rd, Pound Hall 208, Athens, GA 30606 USA
| | - Landry Goodgame Huffman
- Youth Development Institute, Department of Human Development and Family Science, University of Georgia, 105 Foster Rd, Pound Hall 208, Athens, GA 30606 USA
- The Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Graduate Program at the University of Georgia, Tucker Hall Rm. 422, 310 E Campus Rd., Athens, GA 30602 USA
| | - Steven M. Kogan
- Center for Family Research, University of Georgia, 1095 College Station Road, Athens, GA 30602 USA
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