OBJECTIVE: Anger, irritability, and aggression are among the most common reasons for child mental health referrals. This review is focused on two forms of behavioral interventions for these behavioral problems: Parent management training (PMT) and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). METHODS: First, we provide an overview of anger/irritability and aggression as the treatment targets of behavioral interventions, followed by a discussion of the general principles and techniques of these treatment modalities. Then we discuss our current work concerning the transdiagnostic approach to CBT for anger, irritability, and aggression. RESULTS: PMT is aimed at improving aversive patterns of family interactions that engender children's disruptive behavior. CBT targets deficits in emotion regulation and social problem-solving that are associated with aggressive behavior. Both forms of treatment have received extensive support in randomized controlled trials. Given that anger/irritability and aggressive behavior are common in children with a variety of psychiatric diagnoses, a transdiagnostic approach to CBT for anger and aggression is described in detail. CONCLUSIONS: PMT and CBT have been well studied in randomized controlled trials in children with disruptive behavior disorders, and studies of transdiagnostic approaches to CBT for anger and aggression are currently underway. More work is needed to develop treatments for other types of aggressive behavior (e.g., relational aggression) that have been relatively neglected in clinical research. The role of callous-unemotional traits in response to behavioral interventions and treatment of irritability in children with anxiety and mood disorders also warrants further investigation.
OBJECTIVE: Anger, irritability, and aggression are among the most common reasons for child mental health referrals. This review is focused on two forms of behavioral interventions for these behavioral problems: Parent management training (PMT) and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). METHODS: First, we provide an overview of anger/irritability and aggression as the treatment targets of behavioral interventions, followed by a discussion of the general principles and techniques of these treatment modalities. Then we discuss our current work concerning the transdiagnostic approach to CBT for anger, irritability, and aggression. RESULTS: PMT is aimed at improving aversive patterns of family interactions that engender children's disruptive behavior. CBT targets deficits in emotion regulation and social problem-solving that are associated with aggressive behavior. Both forms of treatment have received extensive support in randomized controlled trials. Given that anger/irritability and aggressive behavior are common in children with a variety of psychiatric diagnoses, a transdiagnostic approach to CBT for anger and aggression is described in detail. CONCLUSIONS: PMT and CBT have been well studied in randomized controlled trials in children with disruptive behavior disorders, and studies of transdiagnostic approaches to CBT for anger and aggression are currently underway. More work is needed to develop treatments for other types of aggressive behavior (e.g., relational aggression) that have been relatively neglected in clinical research. The role of callous-unemotional traits in response to behavioral interventions and treatment of irritability in children with anxiety and mood disorders also warrants further investigation.
Authors: Mark Richard Dadds; Avril Jessica Cauchi; Subodha Wimalaweera; David John Hawes; John Brennan Journal: Psychiatry Res Date: 2012-06-15 Impact factor: 3.222
Authors: Eric A Storch; Anna M Jones; Caleb W Lack; Chelsea M Ale; Michael L Sulkowski; Adam B Lewin; Alessandro S De Nadai; Tanya K Murphy Journal: J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry Date: 2012-04-17 Impact factor: 8.829
Authors: Karen Bearss; Cynthia Johnson; Tristram Smith; Luc Lecavalier; Naomi Swiezy; Michael Aman; David B McAdam; Eric Butter; Charmaine Stillitano; Noha Minshawi; Denis G Sukhodolsky; Daniel W Mruzek; Kylan Turner; Tiffany Neal; Victoria Hallett; James A Mulick; Bryson Green; Benjamin Handen; Yanhong Deng; James Dziura; Lawrence Scahill Journal: JAMA Date: 2015-04-21 Impact factor: 157.335
Authors: Denis G Sukhodolsky; Brent C Vander Wyk; Jeffrey A Eilbott; Spencer A McCauley; Karim Ibrahim; Michael J Crowley; Kevin A Pelphrey Journal: J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol Date: 2016-01-19 Impact factor: 2.576
Authors: Ashlee A Moore; Dana M Lapato; Melissa A Brotman; Ellen Leibenluft; Steven H Aggen; John M Hettema; Timothy P York; Judy L Silberg; Roxann Roberson-Nay Journal: J Child Psychol Psychiatry Date: 2019-04-17 Impact factor: 8.982
Authors: Ana Ortin; Katherine S Elkington; Ruth Eisenberg; Regina Miranda; Glorisa Canino; Hector R Bird; Cristiane S Duarte Journal: J Abnorm Child Psychol Date: 2019-10