Irritability (also called as crankiness) is the excitatory ability that
living organisms
In biology, an organism () is any life, living system that functions as an individual entity. All organisms are composed of cells (cell theory). Organisms are classified by taxonomy (biology), taxonomy into groups such as Multicellular o ...
have to respond to changes in their environment. The term is used for both the
physiological
Physiology (; ) is the scientific study of functions and mechanisms in a living system. As a sub-discipline of biology, physiology focuses on how organisms, organ systems, individual organs, cells, and biomolecules carry out the chemical ...
reaction to stimuli and for the
pathological
Pathology is the study of the causes and effects of disease or injury. The word ''pathology'' also refers to the study of disease in general, incorporating a wide range of biology research fields and medical practices. However, when used in th ...
, abnormal or excessive sensitivity to stimuli.
When reflecting human
emotion
Emotions are mental states brought on by neurophysiological changes, variously associated with thoughts, feelings, behavioral responses, and a degree of pleasure or displeasure. There is currently no scientific consensus on a definition. ...
and
behavior
Behavior (American English) or behaviour (British English) is the range of actions and mannerisms made by individuals, organisms, systems or artificial entities in some environment. These systems can include other systems or organisms as wel ...
, it is commonly defined as the tendency to react to stimuli with negative
affective
Affect, in psychology, refers to the underlying experience of feeling, emotion or mood.
History
The modern conception of affect developed in the 19th century with Wilhelm Wundt. The word comes from the German ''Gefühl'', meaning "feeling. ...
states (especially
anger
Anger, also known as wrath or rage, is an intense emotional state involving a strong uncomfortable and non-cooperative response to a perceived provocation, hurt or threat.
A person experiencing anger will often experience physical effects, su ...
) and temper outbursts, which can be
aggressive
Aggression is overt or covert, often harmful, social interaction with the intention of inflicting damage or other harm upon another individual; although it can be channeled into creative and practical outlets for some. It may occur either reacti ...
. Distressing or impairing irritability is important from a
mental health
Mental health encompasses emotional, psychological, and social well-being, influencing cognition, perception, and behavior. It likewise determines how an individual handles stress, interpersonal relationships, and decision-making. Mental health ...
perspective as a common symptom of concern and predictor of clinical outcomes.
Definition
Irritability is the excitatory ability that
living organism
In biology, an organism () is any living system that functions as an individual entity. All organisms are composed of cells (cell theory). Organisms are classified by taxonomy into groups such as multicellular animals, plants, and fungi ...
s have to respond to changes in their environment.
The term is used for both the
physiological
Physiology (; ) is the scientific study of functions and mechanisms in a living system. As a sub-discipline of biology, physiology focuses on how organisms, organ systems, individual organs, cells, and biomolecules carry out the chemical ...
reaction to stimuli and for the
pathological
Pathology is the study of the causes and effects of disease or injury. The word ''pathology'' also refers to the study of disease in general, incorporating a wide range of biology research fields and medical practices. However, when used in th ...
, abnormal or excessive sensitivity to stimuli. Irritability can be demonstrated in behavioral responses to both physiological and behavioral stimuli, including environmental, situational,
sociological
Sociology is a social science that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. It uses various methods of empirical investigation and ...
, and
emotion
Emotions are mental states brought on by neurophysiological changes, variously associated with thoughts, feelings, behavioral responses, and a degree of pleasure or displeasure. There is currently no scientific consensus on a definition. ...
al stimuli.
In humans, irritability may be a significant
transdiagnostic symptom or disposition that occurs across or at any point during the lifespan.
It is commonly defined as the tendency to react to stimuli with the experience of negative affective states (especially anger) and temper outbursts, which may or may not be aggressive.
This definition is well known to have similarities with the definitions of
anger
Anger, also known as wrath or rage, is an intense emotional state involving a strong uncomfortable and non-cooperative response to a perceived provocation, hurt or threat.
A person experiencing anger will often experience physical effects, su ...
and
aggression
Aggression is overt or covert, often harmful, social interaction with the intention of inflicting damage or other harm upon another individual; although it can be channeled into creative and practical outlets for some. It may occur either reacti ...
. New hypotheses
and data-driven research are focused on identifying what is unique to irritability, anger, and aggression. The definition is broad. It is also consistent with special definitions that are relevant to research and treatment. One definition is that irritability is a low threshold for experiencing
frustration
In psychology, frustration is a common emotional response to opposition, related to anger, annoyance and disappointment. Frustration arises from the perceived resistance to the fulfillment of an individual's will or goal and is likely to in ...
. This definition is helpful for experiments because researchers can induce frustration by blocking desired rewards or doling out unexpected punishments. However, it is not particularly specific to irritability, as frustration is its own construct with a number of emotional and behavioral associations. A second prominent special definition describes a group of behavioral issues often occurring in those diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. This deserves mention here because this version of irritability has been a commonly used in a number of clinical trials and defines the current US
Food and Drug Administration
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a List of United States federal agencies, federal agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is respon ...
irritability indication.
Signs and symptoms
As an emotional and behavioral symptom in humans, someone is considered to be irritable when they have a short temper, become
easily frustrated, or feel grouchy or grumpy.
Caregiver
A caregiver or carer is a paid or unpaid member of a person's social network who helps them with activities of daily living. Since they have no specific professional training, they are often described as informal caregivers. Caregivers most commo ...
s may report tension in the household or
fatigue. They may make accommodations to avoid provoking their dependents. Irritability is associated with a number of
mental health conditions.
It is a defining characteristic of any
mood disorder
A mood disorder, also known as an affective disorder, is any of a group of conditions of mental and behavioral disorder where a disturbance in the person's mood is the main underlying feature. The classification is in the '' Diagnostic and St ...
, such as
bipolar,
depressive, and
disruptive mood dysregulation disorder
Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder (DMDD) is a mental disorder in children and adolescents characterized by a persistently irritable or angry mood and frequent temper outbursts that are disproportionate to the situation and significantly more s ...
s.
It is also a major feature of a number of other disorders, including
autism spectrum
The autism spectrum, often referred to as just autism or in the context of a professional diagnosis autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or autism spectrum condition (ASC), is a neurodevelopmental condition (or conditions) characterized by difficulti ...
disorders, traumatic stress disorders,
generalized anxiety disorder
Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a mental and behavioral disorder, specifically an anxiety disorder characterized by excessive, uncontrollable and often irrational worry about events or activities. Worry often interferes with daily function ...
, etc.
Finally, it is a notable characteristic of
delirium
Delirium (also known as acute confusional state) is an organically caused decline from a previous baseline of mental function that develops over a short period of time, typically hours to days. Delirium is a syndrome encompassing disturbances in ...
,
dementia
Dementia is a disorder which manifests as a set of related symptoms, which usually surfaces when the brain is damaged by injury or disease. The symptoms involve progressive impairments in memory, thinking, and behavior, which negatively affe ...
, hormonal change, metabolic disturbance,
chronic stress
Chronic stress is the physiological or psychological response induced by a long-term internal or external stressor. The stressor, either physically present or recollected, will produce the same effect and trigger a chronic stress response. There i ...
, pain, and
substance/medication withdrawal.
Of course, given that irritability is not specific to any one condition, clinicians consider biological, social, psychological, and familial factors. Irritability may be an indicator of diagnosis, course of illness, or prognosis. For example, a major concern for clinicians is the time course of irritability. If a person presents as uncharacteristically irritable, then a clinician may become concerned a change or episodic illness, such as a neurologic insult or mood disorder. Understanding the time course of irritability is critical for establishing the diagnosis of pediatric bipolar disorder from disruptive mood dysregulation disorder. In another example, chronic, severe irritability in older children (not including young children, e.g. preschool age, where normative irritability may be severe) may predict later depression and anxiety
and suicidality.
Neurophysiology
Several major neural systems have been implicated across a number of studies for idiopathic, chronic irritability. These include the following: 1) prefrontal areas that underlying complex, goal directed behavior, especially inhibitory control and the regulation of emotions; 2) cortico-subcortical systems underlying reward processing, particularly in reaction to a frustrating stimulus; and 3) cortico-subcortical systems underlying threat and arousal processing, particularly in the context of social fairness or social threat.
Treatments
It is reasonable to adjust lifestyle habits, such as managing sleep, exercise, stress, and diet, should they be contributory.
See also
*
Aggression
Aggression is overt or covert, often harmful, social interaction with the intention of inflicting damage or other harm upon another individual; although it can be channeled into creative and practical outlets for some. It may occur either reacti ...
*
Annoyance
Annoyance is an unpleasant mental state that is characterized by irritation and distraction from one's conscious thinking. It can lead to emotions such as frustration and anger. The property of being easily annoyed is called irritability.
...
*
Resentment
Resentment (also called ranklement or bitterness) is a complex, multilayered emotion that has been described as a mixture of disappointment, disgust and anger. Other psychologists consider it a mood or as a secondary emotion (including cognit ...
*
Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder
Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder (DMDD) is a mental disorder in children and adolescents characterized by a persistently irritable or angry mood and frequent temper outbursts that are disproportionate to the situation and significantly more s ...
*
Oppositional defiant disorder
Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) is listed in the DSM-5 under ''Disruptive, impulse-control, and conduct disorders'' and defined as "a pattern of angry/irritable mood, argumentative/defiant behavior, or vindictiveness". This behavior is us ...
References
External links
{{emotion-footer
Symptoms and signs of mental disorders
Emotions