Aggression, hostility, and irritability in children at risk for bipolar disorder

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Tiffany R Farchione1, Boris Birmaher, David Axelson

  • 1Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA. farchionet@upmc.edu

Bipolar Disorders
|August 8, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Children at risk for bipolar disorder (BP) exhibit higher aggression and irritability. These symptoms persist even when accounting for other factors, suggesting they may be early indicators of mood disorders.

Area of Science:

  • Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
  • Mood Disorders
  • Genetic Epidemiology

Background:

  • Bipolar disorder (BP) has a significant genetic component, with offspring of affected parents facing increased risk.
  • Early identification of risk factors in high-risk children is crucial for timely intervention and understanding disorder development.
  • Aggression, irritability, and hostility are common symptoms that may precede the onset of mood disorders.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the prevalence and significance of aggression, irritability, and hostility in children with a parental history of bipolar disorder (BP).
  • To determine if these behavioral symptoms are elevated in offspring of BP parents compared to controls.
  • To explore the independence of these symptoms from other psychopathology in children and parents.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized parent and child versions of the Children's Hostility Inventory (CHI) for assessment.
  • Studied 300 offspring (aged 6-18) of parents with BP and 169 children from control families.
  • Employed statistical analyses to adjust for demographic variables, parental non-BP psychopathology, and child psychopathology.

Main Results:

  • Children of BP parents scored significantly higher on the total CHI and its subscales compared to control children.
  • After adjustments, total CHI (parent rating), irritability (parent rating), and irritability (child self-report) remained significant predictors.
  • The hostility subscale (parent rating) showed a trending association with the parental BP status.

Conclusions:

  • Offspring of parents with BP demonstrate elevated hostility and irritability ratings compared to controls, irrespective of other psychopathology.
  • These heightened symptoms may serve as potential early markers for the development of BP or other mood disorders.
  • Longitudinal follow-up studies are recommended to confirm the predictive value of these symptoms for future mood disorder diagnosis.
Abstract

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