Mood lability and psychopathology in youth
Open accessAbstract
Background: Mood lability is a concept widely used. However, data on its prevalence and morbid associations are scarce. We sought to establish the occurrence and importance of mood lability in a large community sample of children and adolescents by testing a priori hypotheses. Method: Cross-sectional data were taken from a national mental health survey including 5326 subjects aged 8–19 years in the UK. The outcomes were prevalence and characteristics of mood lability and its associations with psychopathology and overall impairment. Results: Mood lability occurred in more than 5% of the population of children and adolescents, both by parent and self-report. Mood lability was strongly associated with a wide range of psychopathology and was linked to significant impairment even in the absence of psychiatric disorders. Mood lability was particularly strongly associated with co-morbidity between internalizing and externalizing disorders, even when adjusting for the association with individual disorders. The pattern of results did not change after excluding youth with bipolar disorder or with episodes of elated mood. Conclusions: Clinically significant mood lability is relatively common in the community. Our findings indicate that mood lability is not a mere consequence of other psychopathology in that it is associated with significant impairment even in the absence of psychiatric diagnoses. Moreover, the pattern of association of mood lability with co-morbidity suggests that it could be a risk factor shared by both internalizing and externalizing disorders. Our data point to the need for greater awareness of mood lability and its implications for treatment.
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Most epidemiological research in children finds a strong association between ADHD and emotion dysregulation.
“Most epidemiological research has focused on children and finds a strong association between ADHD and emotion dysregulation (35, 51-56)(Table 1).”
From Emotion Dysregulation in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (2014) · cites this paper as [51]
A population study of 5326 youth found mood lability in 38% of children with ADHD, a ten-fold increase over population rates.
“A population study of 5326 youth found mood lability in 38% of children with ADHD, a ten-fold increase over population rates (51).”
From Emotion Dysregulation in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (2014) · cites this paper as [51]
In one epidemiologic survey, 30.8% of youth with DMDD also met criteria for ADHD.
“In one epidemiologic survey, 30.8% of youth with DMDD also met criteria for ADHD [9], highlighting the significant overlap between these diagnostic constructs.”
From Using Stimulants to Treat ADHD-Related Emotional Lability (2014) · cites this paper as [9]
EL is common in children, youth, and adults with ADHD, with parent-reported prevalence rates ranging from 11% to 47%.
“EL is common in children, youth, and adults with ADHD, with parent-reported prevalence rates ranging from 11% to 47% (Anastopoulos et al., 2011; Skirrow & Asherson, 2013; Stringaris & Goodman, 2009);”
From A Post-Hoc Analysis of Emotional Lability With Delayed-Release/Extended-Release Methylphenidate in Children Aged 6 to 12 Years of Age Participating in Two Phase 3 Clinical Trials (2024) · cites this paper as Stringaris & Goodman, 2009
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“…youth, and adults with ADHD, with parent-reported prevalence rates ranging from 11% to 47% (Anastopoulos et al., 2011; Skirrow & Asherson, 2013; Stringaris & Goodman, 2009); despite the frequency of EL in individuals with ADHD, EL is not included in the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria used to…”
Background
- Authors
- Stringaris, A., & Goodman, R.
- Affiliations
- King's College London (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Stringaris, A.
- ORCID
- Goodman, R.
- Venue
- Psychological Medicine
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press (CUP)
- Published
- 2008-12-11
- Volume
- 39
- Issue
- 8
- Pages
- 1237-1245
- ISSN
- 0033-2917 (ISSN-L)
- 1469-8978
- OpenAlex
- W2011853866
- Cited by
- 162
- References
- 7
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 11 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 11 · 2020: 14 · 2019: 8 · 2018: 15 · 2017: 11 · 2016: 14 · 2015: 15 · 2014: 11 · 2013: 7 · 2012: 7
- FWCI
- 7.07
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- kclpure.kcl.ac.uk
- Licence
- Locations
- Psychological Medicine (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Research Portal (King's College London) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Funders
- National Institute for Health and Care Research
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Bipolar Disorder and Treatment
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Personality Disorders and Psychopathology
- Keywords
- emotional lability, children and adolescents, psychopathology, internalizing disorders, externalizing disorders, comorbidities, functional disability, prevalence, bipolar disorder, community mental health
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Affect, Anger, Bipolar Disorder, Child, Child Behavior Disorders, Female, Happiness, Health Surveys, Humans, Internal-External Control, Male, Personality Assessment, Personality Inventory, Psychometrics, Comorbidity
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