Case study: ego-dystonic anger attacks in mothers of young children

Parental anger can have detrimental effects on children and can contribute to physical abuse. Ego-dystonic anger attacks are an underrecognized psychiatric symptom that occurs in associated with depression, with other psychiatric disorders, and in the absence of comorbid disorders. They are characterized by overwhelming anger and autonomic arousal occurring upon provocation viewed as trivial by the individual, and they respond well to treatment with serotonergic antidepressants. Consequently, they represent a readily treatable problem. Four cases of anger attacks in mothers of young children are described to illustrate the importance of recognizing and treating anger attacks.