ADHD Irritability vs. DMDD vs. Bipolar Disorder

Irritability, moodiness, temper tantrums, or other mood states commonly occur alongside ADHD in youth, but sometimes emotion regulation difficulties (ERD) indicate something more. Caregivers observing frequent mood issues may worry that their child has a mood-related pediatric psychiatric disorder, like DMDD or bipolar disorder, in addition to ADHD. And in fact, youth with ADHD are at elevated risk, compared to unaffected youth, for developing a mood disorder at some point in their lives.

That said, irritability is a non-specific emotional state that can be observed in healthy youth and those who have ADHD or other behavioral challenges, in addition to youth with diagnosed mood disorders. Understanding the significance of irritability in a child with ADHD, consequently, can be quite challenging, even for seasoned clinicians. So it is no surprise that many parents of youth with ADHD and ERD, feel anxious and uncertain about their child’s diagnoses.

In this webinar, caregivers will learn:

• How ERD in youth with ADHD may constitute a diagnostic subtype of the broader ADHD population
• How to view the typical features of pediatric psychiatry disorders associated with irritability in a way that can help caregivers better differentiate the likely source of emotional disturbance they are observing in their child
• Important next steps they can take to help their children experiencing irritability, and other ERD, both from a parenting intervention perspective and through seeking out appropriate clinical expertise