Irritable Mood in Young Children: What Does It Mean?

Healthy toddlers and preschoolers display episodic irritability (easy annoyance and temper outbursts) that usually is responsive to behavior management by parents. Up to 5% of children and adolescents display chronic irritability associated with anger and sadness. Investigators prospectively examined the predictive value of early childhood chronic irritability in a community sample of 462 preschool-age children in New York State. The children were assessed at ages 3 and 6 years with a standardized parent-generated, psychiatric interview, child inventory of emotional and behavioral disorders, and functional impairment scale. Parental psychopathology was assessed at age 3 with a structured clinical interview. Chronic irritability was defined …