Aggression, hostility, and irritability in children at risk for bipolar disorder

To assess aggression, irritability and hostility in children at risk for bipolar disorder (BP).

Methods:

Using the parent and the child versions of the Children's Hostility Inventory (CHI), we assessed aggression, hostility, and irritability in 300 offspring aged 6-18years old of BP parents and 169 children of community controls.

Results:

Children of BP parents have significantly higher scores on the total CHI and its subscales than do children of control parents. After adjusting for demographic variables, both parents' non-BP psychopathology, child psychopathology, and within-family correlations, three factors remain significant: total CHI by parent rating, irritability subscale by parent rating, and irritability by child self-report. The hostility subscale by parent rating became a trend.

Conclusions:

Children of BP parents score higher on ratings of hostility and irritability than children of community control parents, independent of child psychopathology and non-BP parental psychopathology. Follow-up of these children to evaluate whether these symptoms are markers for the development of BP or mood disorders is warranted.

Keywords: aggression; bipolar disorder; child; high-risk; hostility; irritability

DOI: 10.1111/j.1399-5618.2007.00390.x

_{Authors: Farchione, Tiffany R; Birmaher, Boris; Axelson, David; Kalas, Cathy; Monk, Kelly; Ehmann, Mary; Iyengar, Satish; Kupfer, David; Brent, David}

Source: Bipolar Disorders, Volume 9, Number 5, August 2007 , pp. 496-503(8)

Publisher: Blackwell Publishing

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