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Irritability in children and adolescents: a challenge for DSM-5

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Abstract

Irritability has recently become a major focus of interest for clinicians and nosologists alike, and its position in the upcoming DSM-5 is currently debated. However, research on irritability has only recently started emerging. Here, I review the recent findings on irritability and its differentially strong relationship to depressive and generalised anxiety disorders compared to disruptive behaviours. Furthermore, I examine the importance of irritability in the recent debate about bipolar disorder in children and adolescents and discuss findings from research into severe mood dysregulation. I next address the relevance of irritability to the two core aims of developmental sensitivity and dimensionality. Finally, I critically discuss the recently proposed putative DSM-5 category of temper dysregulation disorder with dysphoria and make suggestions about future research directions.

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Acknowledgments

I would like to thank Professor Barbara Maughan and Professor Robert Goodman, both at the Institute of Psychiatry in London, for helpful suggestions on earlier versions of this manuscript.

Conflict of interest

I have no conflict of interest to declare.

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  1. King’s College London Institute of Psychiatry, Box P085, De Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London, SE5 8AF, UK

    Argyris Stringaris

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Correspondence to Argyris Stringaris.

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Stringaris, A. Irritability in children and adolescents: a challenge for DSM-5. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 20, 61–66 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-010-0150-4

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