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Psychophysiological Assessment of the Effectiveness of Emotion Regulation Strategies in Childhood
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Irritability in developmental age: A narrative review of a dimension crossing paediatric psychopathology

Maria Breda1, Ignazio Ardizzone1

  • 1Department of Pediatrics and Pediatric Neuropsychiatry, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.

The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry
|May 21, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Irritability is a key feature in pediatric mental health, impacting many children and requiring careful assessment. A dimensional approach helps identify and treat irritability early to prevent worse outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
  • Developmental Psychopathology
  • Pediatric Mental Health

Background:

  • Irritability is frequent in children, linked to poor outcomes and significant public health concerns.
  • It presents as a core or associated feature across numerous pediatric psychiatric diagnoses.
  • Understanding irritability's origin and role is crucial for clinical practice.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the dimension of irritability in pediatric populations.
  • To explore its relationship with major neuropsychiatric disorders in children and adolescents.
  • To summarize current assessment tools for childhood irritability.

Main Methods:

  • A narrative review approach was employed.
  • Focus on selected literature concerning irritability in children and adolescents.
  • Utilized both qualitative and quantitative methodologies.

Main Results:

  • Irritability is a recognized clinical dimension in pediatric psychiatric conditions.
  • Its assessment has evolved with various tools and methodologies.
  • Metrics of irritability are vital for diagnosing pediatric disorders.

Conclusions:

  • Assessing irritability in all children with related disorders is essential due to risks of functional impairment.
  • A dimensional approach, rather than rigid thresholds, aids in identifying early stages and preventing severe conditions.
  • Early identification and treatment of subthreshold irritability can prevent pathological expressions.
Abstract

Keywords:
Irritabilitydepressiondevelopmental psychopathologydisruptive mood dysregulation disordertransdiagnostic

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