irritability

Abstract Child and adolescent externalizing problems have often been conceptualized broadly with imprecise language (e.g., “disruptive behavior”) or inconsistently across varying taxonomies (e.g., oppositional defiant and conduct disorder symptoms, aggressive and rule-breaking behaviors). Establishing clarity around dimensions of externalizing problems is an essential step toward more accurate measurement and construct validity across the externalizing domain. To that end, the current study investigated fine-grained dimensions in the structure of youth externalizing psychopathology. Caregiver-report survey data were collected for a national community sample of 576 youth (ages 6–14; 45% female, 25% Hispanic), including measures of irritability, oppositionality, reactive and proactive aggression, conduct problems, hyperactivity/impulsivity, and inattention. We used exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to examine relations among externalizing dimensions at the item-level followed by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to examine relations at the construct-level. EFA results suggested that a 3-factor model best fit the data, including factors characterized by externalizing affect (e.g., “felt mad”), externalizing behavior (e.g., “bullies, threatens, or intimidates others”), and ADHD symptoms (e.g., “talks excessively”), with a few cross-loadings. Similarly, confirmatory models indicated that a 3-factor, non-hierarchical structure fit the data best when compared to three other models. Results provide support for distinct facets of the externalizing spectrum in child psychopathology, suggesting a preliminary direction for a unifying framework. These findings highlight the potential for future measurement research to further disentangle the distinct and overlapping facets of externalizing constructs, particularly using multiple methods and informants and with replication across samples.

Digital technologies have become integral to higher education, yet the psychological strain they create for students is still poorly understood from the students’ own perspective, particularly in developing countries. This qualitative study explored university students lived experiences of digital stress (used interchangeably with technology stress and technostress to denote stress arising from digital devices and technology-based academic systems), including its sources, psychological impacts, and coping strategies. A phenomenological qualitative design was employed. Fifteen students (7 male, 8 females; aged 19–28 years) enrolled in BS, MS/MPhil, and PhD programmes at public and private universities in Islamabad and Rawalpindi, Pakistan, were selected through purposive sampling and interviewed using semi-structured, in-depth interviews. The data were analysed using the thematic analysis approach of Braun and Clarke (2006). Five themes were identified: (1) Academic Digital Overload, (2) Technological Anxiety and Uncertainty, (3) Emotional and Cognitive Exhaustion, (4) Constant Connectivity Pressure, and (5) Coping Strategies for Digital Stress. Students described managing multiple platforms and a continuous digital workload, fear of technical failure during examinations and submissions, mental fatigue, reduced concentration and irritability, and an expectation of being permanently available. Despite these stressors, students used time management, digital breaks, and peer support to cope. Interpreted through Technostress Theory and the Transactional Model of Stress and Coping, the findings show that digital stress is a multidimensional phenomenon shaped by academic demands, technological environments, and coping resources. Universities should develop student-centred digital learning systems that reduce technology-induced stress and promote psychological well-being.

Objectives: The coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) infection has affected the lives of all strata of society since its beginning. To control the spread of the disease, a lockdown was imposed. During this time, there was a substantial increase in the usage of gadgets and reduction in outdoor activities because of online studies that resulted in serious the mental health issues, especially in the paediatric population. Material and Methods: To study the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on screen time, playtime and behaviour of the students, the study was conducted on 153 subjects of 4–18 years age group attending the outpatient department, over a period of 3 months. A questionnaire format of ten questions was framed that was asked from the children or from their parents/guardians. This study included questions such as time spent on online classes, self-study or study with parents and gadgets used for the online classes. Results: Most of the children were students of classes upper kinder garden and I, comprising 19.0% and 18.3%, respectively. Females outnumbered males in the study. Weight gain was observed in 43.8%, and signs of irritability were observed in 68.0% of the children. Weight gain showed a statistically significant correlation with the duration of online classes, indoor and outdoor playtime with p-values of 0.044, <0.005 and 0.005, respectively. There was also a statistically significant correlation between change in behaviour with outdoor playtime and sleep timings with p < 0.005 and 0.019, respectively. Conclusion: This study concluded that there was a significant increase in screen time and a decrease in outdoor play activities during the time of COVID-19 pandemic with a statistically significant correlation with the weight gain and change in behaviour of the children.

Abstract Youth irritability, characterized as proneness to anger/frustration, is associated with negative mental health outcomes. This study identified irritability trajectories across the transition to early adolescence and applied machine learning to identify preadolescent predictors of irritability trajectories. Data are from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study, a large longitudinal study that tracks youth development from preadolescence ( n = 11,862, ages 8.92–11.08 years, M = 9.91, SD = 0.62). The baseline sample was 47.83% female ( n = 5,680), 63.35% White, 15.74% Black, 12.07% Biracial or Multiracial, 2.32% Asian, and 20.30% Hispanic. Using parent-report youth irritability scores across four years, latent class growth analysis (LCGA) identified four distinct irritability trajectories: low stable ( n = 8,692, 73.28%), high decreasing ( n = 1,083, 9.13%), low increasing ( n = 1,449, 12.22%), and high chronic ( n = 638, 5.38%). Machine learning approaches generated predictive models for irritability trajectories, including baseline youth psychopathology, physical health, neurocognitive abilities, psychosocial environment, demographics, parent psychopathology, and brain structure metrics. The models demonstrated strong performance in detecting probability of being in the high chronic and low stable trajectories but poorer performance in classifying the irritability trajectories characterized by change. The most prominent predictors included youth externalizing and internalizing problems, parent psychopathology, and sleep problems. Findings provide insight into preadolescent predictors of irritability across a critical developmental period.

چکیده تحریک‌پذیری در نوجوانان، که به عنوان تمایل به خشم یا ناامیدی تعریف می‌شود، با پیامدهای منفی سلامت روان مرتبط است. این مطالعه مسیرهای تحریک‌پذیری را در گذار به اوایل نوجوانی شناسایی کرده و از یادگیری ماشین برای شناسایی پیش‌بینی‌کننده‌های پیش‌نوجوانی مسیرهای تحریک‌پذیری استفاده کرده است. داده‌ها از مطالعه توسعه شناختی مغز نوجوانان (ABCD)، یک مطالعه طولی بزرگ که رشد نوجوانان را از پیش‌نوجوانی دنبال می‌کند (n = 11,862، سنین 8.92 تا 11.08 سال، M = 9.91، SD = 0.62) استخراج شده‌اند. نمونه پایه شامل 47.83٪ دختر (n = 5,680)، 63.35٪ سفیدپوست، 15.74٪ سیاه‌پوست، 12.07٪ دو نژادی یا چند نژادی، 2.32٪ آسیایی و 20.30٪ اسپانیایی‌تبار بود. با استفاده از نمرات تحریک‌پذیری نوجوانان بر اساس گزارش والدین در طول چهار سال، تحلیل رشد کلاس پنهان (LCGA) چهار مسیر متمایز تحریک‌پذیری را شناسایی کرد: پایین پایدار (n = 8,692، 73.28٪)، بالا کاهشی (n = 1,083، 9.13٪)، پایین افزایشی (n = 1,449، 12.22٪) و بالا مزمن (n = 638، 5.38٪). رویکردهای یادگیری ماشین مدل‌های پیش‌بینی برای مسیرهای تحریک‌پذیری ایجاد کردند که شامل آسیب‌شناسی روانی نوجوانان در پایه، سلامت جسمانی، توانایی‌های عصب‌شناختی، محیط روانی-اجتماعی، جمعیت‌شناسی، آسیب‌شناسی روانی والدین و شاخص‌های ساختار مغز بود. مدل‌ها عملکرد قوی در شناسایی احتمال قرار گرفتن در مسیرهای بالا مزمن و پایین پایدار نشان دادند اما در طبقه‌بندی مسیرهای تحریک‌پذیری با تغییر، عملکرد ضعیف‌تری داشتند. برجسته‌ترین پیش‌بینی‌کننده‌ها شامل مشکلات برونی‌سازی و درونی‌سازی نوجوانان، آسیب‌شناسی روانی والدین و مشکلات خواب بودند. یافته‌ها بینش‌هایی درباره پیش‌بینی‌کننده‌های پیش‌نوجوانی تحریک‌پذیری در یک دوره بحرانی رشد ارائه می‌دهد.

Irritability is a common and functionally impairing affective experience in young adults, yet its momentary dynamics and connections to everyday functioning remain poorly understood in non-clinical populations. Using ecological momentary assessment, this study examined how stable trait irritability relates to fluctuating state irritability in college-attending young adults, and how these dimensions are differentially associated with daily physical and mental functioning in the context of perceived stress and affective states. Trait irritability was associated with poorer physical functioning but showed no statistically meaningful association with mental functioning, suggesting a more enduring connection with somatic and activity-related domains. In contrast, state irritability emerged as the primary within-person correlate of impaired mental functioning, with only a modest association with physical functioning, indicating that day-to-day fluctuations of irritability are more related to impairments in psychological well-being. Both between-person differences and within-person changes in perceived stress and negative affect were linked to corresponding shifts in state irritability. Positive affect notably was associated with better daily functioning across physical and mental domains. Together, these findings position irritability as a multidimensional construct with distinct trait and state pathways to physical and mental functioning, underscoring the importance of contextual stress and affective states in the expression of irritability.

تحریک‌پذیری یک تجربه عاطفی رایج و مختل‌کننده عملکرد در بزرگسالان جوان است، اما پویایی‌های لحظه‌ای آن و ارتباطش با عملکرد روزمره در جمعیت‌های غیر بالینی به‌خوبی شناخته نشده است. با استفاده از ارزیابی لحظه‌ای بوم‌شناختی، این پژوهش بررسی کرد که چگونه تحریک‌پذیری صفتی پایدار با تحریک‌پذیری حالتی متغیر در بزرگسالان جوان دانشجو مرتبط است و این ابعاد چگونه به‌طور متفاوتی با عملکرد جسمی و روانی روزانه در زمینه استرس ادراک‌شده و حالات عاطفی ارتباط دارند. تحریک‌پذیری صفتی با عملکرد جسمی ضعیف‌تر مرتبط بود اما ارتباط آماری معناداری با عملکرد روانی نشان نداد، که حاکی از پیوندی پایدارتر با حوزه‌های جسمانی و مرتبط با فعالیت است. در مقابل، تحریک‌پذیری حالتی به‌عنوان همبسته اصلی درون‌فردی اختلال عملکرد روانی ظاهر شد و تنها ارتباط اندکی با عملکرد جسمی داشت، که نشان می‌دهد نوسانات روزانه تحریک‌پذیری بیشتر با اختلال در بهزیستی روان‌شناختی مرتبط است. هم تفاوت‌های بین‌فردی و هم تغییرات درون‌فردی در استرس ادراک‌شده و عاطفه منفی با تغییرات متناظر در تحریک‌پذیری حالتی مرتبط بودند. عاطفه مثبت به‌طور قابل توجهی با عملکرد بهتر روزانه در حوزه‌های جسمی و روانی همراه بود. این یافته‌ها در مجموع تحریک‌پذیری را به‌عنوان سازه‌ای چندبعدی با مسیرهای متمایز صفتی و حالتی به‌سوی عملکرد جسمی و روانی معرفی می‌کند و بر اهمیت استرس زمینه‌ای و حالات عاطفی در بروز تحریک‌پذیری تأکید دارد.

Rates of suicide are 2–3 times higher among youth detained in the legal system (YD) compared to non-detained youth. A prior study found that 40% of YD endorsing a suicide attempt denied suicide ideation. These youth were characterized clinically by high rates of anger and low rates of depression, somatic complaints, and neglect. The present study seeks to replicate these findings in a substantially enlarged sample of YD. N = 1,250 YD endorsing a lifetime suicide attempt were administered an interview to assess mental health history. 45% of YD endorsing a lifetime suicide attempt denied suicide ideation. Youth denying suicide ideation endorsed a significantly higher rate of anger/irritability. This enlarged YD sample replicates results that a significant number of YD who attempted suicide denied ideation and that these youth were characterized by high anger/irritability. Implications for case identification and theory advancement for a comprehensive are discussed.

نرخ‌های خودکشی در میان جوانان بازداشت‌شده در نظام قضایی (YD) دو تا سه برابر بیشتر از جوانان غیر بازداشت‌شده است. یک مطالعه پیشین نشان داد که ۴۰٪ از YDهایی که اقدام به خودکشی را گزارش کردند، افکار خودکشی را انکار کردند. این جوانان از نظر بالینی با نرخ بالای خشم و نرخ پایین افسردگی، شکایات جسمانی و غفلت مشخص می‌شوند. مطالعه حاضر با هدف تکرار این یافته‌ها در نمونه‌ای به‌طور قابل توجهی بزرگ‌تر از YD انجام شده است. به N = 1,250 نفر از YDهایی که اقدام به خودکشی در طول عمر را گزارش کردند، مصاحبه‌ای برای ارزیابی سابقه سلامت روان انجام شد. ۴۵٪ از YDهایی که اقدام به خودکشی در طول عمر را گزارش کردند، افکار خودکشی را انکار کردند. جوانانی که افکار خودکشی را انکار کردند، نرخ به‌طور معناداری بالاتری از خشم/تحریک‌پذیری را گزارش کردند. این نمونه بزرگ‌تر از YD نتایج را تکرار می‌کند که تعداد قابل توجهی از YDهایی که اقدام به خودکشی کرده‌اند، افکار خودکشی را انکار کرده‌اند و این جوانان با خشم/تحریک‌پذیری بالا مشخص می‌شوند. پیامدهای این یافته‌ها برای شناسایی موارد و پیشبرد نظریه به‌صورت جامع مورد بحث قرار گرفته است.