Clinical Research Directory

Psychotherapy for Irritability in Youth: Comparing Active Treatment to Nonactive Psychoeducation Supportive Psychotherapy

Background: Irritability is defined as proneness to anger that may impair a person s ability to function. It is a common reason for why some children need mental health care. Yet no therapies have been developed just to target irritability. Researchers want to compare different types of therapy for irritability. Objective: To test different types of therapy for children and teens with severe irritability. Eligibility: People aged 8 to 16.5 years with severe irritability. Their parents are also needed. Design: Participants will have 28 study visits in 18 months. They will have a baseline visit. They will answer questions about their mood, behavior, and daily life. All parents and children will have 12 therapy sessions. Sessions will be once a week; they will last 30 to 60 minutes. Some of the child sessions may be done by telehealth. Each parent and child will have 1 of 3 therapy types: Exposure therapy (child). Participants will face things that make them angry. A therapist will help them practice managing their anger. Management therapy (parent). Therapists will coach parents on ways to manage their child s behaviors. Psychoeducation/supportive psychotherapy (child and/or parent). Participants will talk with therapists about their or their child s feelings and behaviors. They will list their problems and goals; build coping skills; learn to relax; improve communication; and work on managing stress. Sessions may be videotaped. Participants may opt out of being recorded. Participants will have phone calls every 2 weeks during therapy. They will answer questions about how they are doing. Follow-up calls will continue for 1 year after therapy.

Evolution of DMDD Children and Adolescent

Little is known about the natural course and prognosis factors of inpatients and outpatients with Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD). The investigators conducted a cross-sectional study to determine the evolution of a sample of DMDD patients referred to the hospital for suicidal behaviors between 2013 and 2018 in terms of diagnostic stability, psychiatric comorbidity, and psychosocial factors. A group of patients with various episodic mood disturbances was used as a clinical case control group. In addition to change in DMDD symptoms across time, the investigators examined the onset and persistence of psychiatric comorbidity using the KIDDIE-SADS PL and suicidal behaviors using the Colombia Suicidality Severity Rating Scale. The investigators also examined the persistence of depressive symptoms using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II), the persistence of emotional lability (Affective Lability Scale-18), borderline traits (Abbreviated Diagnostic of Inventory Borderline). Socio-demographic, clinical features and actigraphy-measured sleep characteristics determined between 2013 and 2018 were used to predict the evolution of the DMDD patients and the clinical control group.