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. 2025 May 19;25(1):1832.
doi: 10.1186/s12889-025-23076-6.

The hidden burden: self-reported irritability in adolescent girls signals higher psychiatric risk

Pablo Vidal-Ribas  1 , Georgina Krebs  2 , Jamilah Silver  3 , Wan-Ling Tseng  4 , Tamsin Ford  5   6 , Argyris Stringaris  7   8
Affiliations

The hidden burden: self-reported irritability in adolescent girls signals higher psychiatric risk

Pablo Vidal-Ribas et al. BMC Public Health. .

Abstract

Background: Most research on pediatric irritability focuses on children and/or relies on parent reports. We examined how self-reported irritability in adolescents influences the prevalence, sex distribution and correlates of irritability relative to children and parent reports.

Methods: Using data from Mental Health of Children and Young People Survey 2017 in England we contrasted the prevalence of irritability, encompassing irritable mood and temper outbursts, in 2,740 adolescents aged 12-17 (50.3% females), based on parent- and self-report, with that of 4,141 children aged 5-11 (49.4% females) based on parent-report. We examined associations of irritability with mental health problems and impairment.

Results: Parents reported similar prevalence of irritability in adolescent males (14-23%) and females (14-22%), but higher levels of irritability in males (20-25%) than females (15-19%) during childhood. In contrast, adolescent females self-reported more irritable mood (29%, 95%CI 26-31) than males (23%, 95%CI 20-25) and parents. Self-reported irritability in adolescent females was associated with greater emotional problems (irritable mood, b = 0.27, SE = 0.10, p = 0.011; temper outbursts: b = 0.25, SE = 0.11, p = 0.022) and impairment (irritable mood, b = 0.31, SE = 0.10, p = 0.001; temper outbursts: b = 0.31, SE = 0.08, p < 0.001) compared to males. Irritable mood in adolescent females was associated with a higher increase of psychiatric disorders (b = 0.35, SE = 0.15, p = 0.020) compared to males.

Conclusions: Age, sex, and informant are sources of heterogeneity in irritability reporting, and must be considered in the assessment and understanding of irritability-related psychopathology. Longitudinal design studies with comprehensive assessments of irritability across a broad age range are warranted to elucidate its developmental trajectory and causal relationships with other psychopathological symptoms.

Keywords: Adolescent; Female; Informant; Irritability; Sex difference.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: The survey received ethical approval from the West London & GTAC Research Ethics Committee in April 2016 (REC reference: 16/LO/0155), with a substantial amendment approved in October 2016. It was also approved by the Health Research Authority Confidentiality Advisory Group in May 2016 (CAG reference: 16/CAG/0016), with a subsequent amendment approved in September 2016. Informed consent was obtained from parents of children aged 2–16, with assent provided by children aged 11–16, while participants aged 17–19 gave their own informed consent. This research was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Percentage of frequent irritable mood and temper outbursts by sex and informant
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Mean of SDQ subscales scores (SDQ hyperactivity, panel A; SDQ emotion, panels B and C; SDQ impact, panels D and E) by presence of irritable mood (panels A, B, and D) or temper outbursts (panels C and E) as reported by parents (panel A) or adolescents (panels B, C, D, and E)
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Percentage of any psychiatric disorder by self- and parent-reported irritable mood and sex in adolescence
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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