Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33243553›Full record

ArticleJournal of affective disorders2021

Measurement and correlates of irritability in clinically referred youth: Further examination of the Affective Reactivity Index.

Spencer C Evans, Madelaine R Abel, Rachel L Doyle, Hilary Skov, Sherelle L Harmon

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In one paragraph

Article in Journal of affective disorders, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 25 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
25citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

25 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Evidence Base Update on the Assessment of Irritability, Anger, and Aggression in Youth.Journal of clinical child and adolescent psychology : the official journal for the Society of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, American Psychological Association, Division 53
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  7. Sex-Specific Associations of Irritability With Subcortical Brain Volumes.Biological psychiatry global open science · 2026
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  11. Trajectory of Irritability in Autistic and Typically Developing Youth From Early Childhood to Adolescence.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism Research · 2025
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Spencer C EvansDepartment of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, USA. Electronic address: sevans@miami.edu.
Madelaine R AbelClinical Child Psychology Program, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA.
Rachel L DoyleClinical Child Psychology Program, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA.
Hilary SkovDepartment of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Psychology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA.
Sherelle L HarmonDepartment of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, USA.

Funding

NIMH NIH HHS L30 MH120708
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundResearch on youth irritability has proliferated in recent years, largely facilitated by items from existing measures and by key new instruments like the Affective Reactivity Index (ARI). The present study extends this literature by investigating the psychometric properties of the parent- and youth-report ARI and the correlates of irritability in an independent, clinically referred sample.

methodBaseline assessment data were collected from 237 youths (ages 3-18; 36% female) and their parents, seen for outpatient therapy and/or assessment. We examined the ARI in terms of (1) its item, scale, and factor properties; (2) convergent/discriminant validity with internalizing, externalizing, and emotion regulation problems; (3) specificity of associations with reactive aggression, anger, dysregulation, and coping; and (4) robustness of associations after controlling for demographic variables (e.g., age, gender).

resultsThe ARI's internal consistency and unidimensional factor structure were acceptable or better, with some variation across items and informants. Irritability, as measured by parent- and youth-report, was associated with variables in the externalizing (inattention, hyperactivity, executive dysfunction, aggression), internalizing (anxiety, depression, suicidality), and emotion regulation domains. Associations with reactive aggression, anger, dysregulation, and coping problems were especially pronounced. Irritability's links with internalizing and externalizing problems remained robust after controlling for demographic covariates. LIMITATIONS: The sample was limited in diversity and moderate in size.

conclusionsFindings support the reliability and validity of the ARI for assessing parent- and youth-rated irritability among clinically referred youth. Future research is needed to understand variations in irritability's manifestations, measurement, and correlates across demographic groups.

Indexed as

AnxietyIrritable MoodAdolescentAggressionChildChild, PreschoolFemaleHumansMalePsychometricsReproducibility of ResultsAssessmentDysregulationExternalizing problemsInternalizing problemsIrritability

Identifiers

PMID33243553
PMCPMC7954902

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.