Irritability and Disruptive Behavior Disorders
Chronic irritability has recently been established as an affective component of pediatric disruptive behavior disorders. In this chapter, the authors review its relationship to disruptive behaviors, with a particular focus on aggression and major disruptive behavior disorders. Defined as a decreased threshold to respond to provocation with anger and temper outbursts, chronic irritability has long been considered an important feature of emotionally driven, disruptive behavior. Recent investigations into irritability suggest that it has important prognostic value for disruptive youth. Furthermore, investigations of disruptive behaviors have informed work on irritability, yielding promising leads for understanding its pathophysiology and treatment.