How and Why Are Irritability and Depression Linked?

摘要

Irritability, defined as an increased proneness to anger relative to peers at the same developmental level,1 is linked to depression. This review first distinguishes between two types of irritability, namely episodic irritability and chronic irritability. Then, the two types of associations between irritability and depression, namely cross-sectional and longitudinal, are described. Next, possible explanations are provided, mechanistic pathways that might explain the link between irritability and depression proposed,