BROOKLYN, N.Y. – As a target of therapy in children with a psychiatric disorder, irritability expressed as grumpy mood or anger should be uncoupled from irritability expressed as threatening behavior, according to an exploration of this common clinical issue at a pediatric psychopharmacology update held by the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
Ted Bosworth/MDedge News
Dr. Gabrielle A. Carlson
“Irritability is like fever,” reported Gabrielle A. Carlson, MD, professor of psychiatry and pediatrics, State University of New York at Stony Brook. “It is a nonspecific symptom that only tells you that something is wrong.”
Irritability might be nothing more than a negative mood, but it also can be the source of explosive aggression, leading to tantrums and destructive behaviors, according to Dr. Carlson. She placed them into two different categories when considering treatment. Irritability leading to annoyance, grumpiness, withdrawal, or persistent anger is characterized as the “internalizing” or “tonic” form of the symptom. As opposed to the aggressive subtype, the tonic form is more closely associated with depression or anxiety. Irritability leading to extreme verbal outbursts or physical violence is characterized as the “externalizing” or “phasic” form, Dr. Carlson said. This type of irritability, defined by behavior more than mood, might signal disruptive mood dysregulation disorder (DMDD). But it is important to recognize that DMDD can overlap with other conditions, such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), bipolar disorder, oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), and autism spectrum disorders.
In defining the impact of treatments on tonic versus phasic symptoms of irritability within the context of the underlying diagnoses, studies have not done a good job in separating relative effects on the two key forms of irritability, Dr. Carlson said.
“Irritability needs to be measured not only by how one feels but what one does,” said Dr. Carlson, explaining that the impact of therapy has not always been adequately described in therapy studies.
For the tonic form, irritability is likely to improve or resolve with control of the underlying psychiatric condition. Although this might also be true of the phasic form, this type of irritability often accompanies conditions that are less readily controlled even through the threat of self-harm, harm to others, or other destructive behaviors invites intervention specifically targeted at this symptom.
Unfortunately, the best approach to irritability is unclear for many underling pathologies.
“Clinicians should recognize that empirical evidence is still lacking as to aggression-targeted treatments with favorable benefit-risk profiles for children and adolescents with ADHD and severe aggression,” said Dr. Carlson, providing ADHD as one of several examples.
Psychological interventions, such as dialectical behavior therapy in children (DBT-C), have been associated with control of both tonic and phasic forms of irritability, but Dr. Carlson cautioned that few studies have adequately differentiated improvement in irritability as measured by behavior relative to mood. In addition, the baseline severity and the degree to which improvement meant adequate control have been unclear.
“Many psychological treatments are school based or group delivered, making it likely that patients are less impaired than explosive kids in psychiatry clinics and hospitals,” Dr. Carlson said.
Providing some practical tips for addressing the phasic form of irritability, She advised clinicians to “maximize the treatment of the base condition” but to add pharmacologic therapies to psychological interventions if symptoms persist.
“Our pendulum has swung from dishing out atypicals to eschewing them completely,” Dr. Carlson noted. Although she agreed these are no longer appropriate as first-line therapies, she suggested they might be employed judiciously if weight gain is monitored carefully.
“If they don’t work, stop them. If they do work, try to limit the duration of use,” Dr. Carlson said.
She reported having no relevant financial relationships to disclose.