Every child will occasionally have a temper tantrum, but if your child has frequent, difficult to control, and tantrums that appear out of proportion to the environment, you may wish to get them tested for disruptive mood dysregulation disorder (DMDD).
In response to psychiatrists’ worries that bipolar illness had been over diagnosed in youngsters, DMDD was created as a diagnosis. The idea behind the disorder is that it differs from bipolar disorder’s normal episodic manic and depressed behavior by exhibiting significant mood dysregulation. Many kids who were initially diagnosed with juvenile bipolar did not exhibit the episodic mania (or heightened mood) that the disease is characterized by.
Symptoms of DMDD
A child’s mood is severely affected by DMDD, leading to rage and irritation. There are two distinct symptoms of this extreme irritability: frequent temper outbursts and a chronic, irritable mood that is present more or less continuously in between these outbursts. A child must show the following signs in order to be identified as having DMDD:
- Extremely frequent temper tantrums. These might be behavioral (such as screaming or yelling) or verbal (physical aggression).
- Having outbursts that are out of character for the child’s age. When a child has DMDD, their tantrums are not as frequent or as severe as you might anticipate given their developmental stage. For instance, while you would think it’s usual for toddlers to occasionally kick and scream on the floor, you wouldn’t anticipate seeing this from an 11-year-old.
- Outbursts happen regularly. On average, you may anticipate seeing one at least three times every day.
- Parents, relatives, teachers, or peers may notice that the child’s mood is consistently irritable or angry in between outbursts.
Additionally, a child will only be given a DMDD diagnosis if their symptoms aren’t due to another illness like autistic spectrum disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, separation anxiety, etc. Your doctor will also want to rule out the chance that the symptoms are caused by any drug or substance’s side effects.
DMDD Risk Factors
Research is currently being done to identify specific risk factors for DMDD because it is a relatively emerging condition.
Nevertheless, one research of more than 3,200 kids aged between 2 and 17 years discovered that between 0.8 and 3.3 percent of kids fit the DMDD criteria.
Researchers have discovered that kids with DMDD may have had a younger tendency for challenging behavior, moodiness, and anxiety. Additionally, they might have struggled to manage their anger and cope with change without losing it.
Males are thought to experience DMDD more frequently than females do, as are kids who have a family member who suffers from a mental illness.
Last but not least, kids with DMDD are more likely to:
- Family strife
- Having trouble in social situations
- school closures
- a challenging economic situation
Bipolar Disorder vs. DMDD
A diagnosis known as DMDD was developed by psychiatrists to combat overdiagnosis of pediatric bipolar disorder. Irritability is the defining trait of DMDD, whereas manic or hypomanic episodes are the sign of bipolar illness.
An heightened, expansive, or irritated mood that frequently includes inflated self-esteem, racing thoughts, or trouble paying attention is referred to as a manic episode. In contrast to manic episodes, hypomania does not interfere with daily functions.
It is important to note that both DMDD and bipolar illness can cause irritability; however, the irritability associated with DMDD tends to be continuous and severe, whereas the manic episodes associated with bipolar illness usually occur infrequently. Furthermore, children with DMDD are unlikely to display the euphoria, insomnia, and goal-directed behavior that are associated with other forms of depression
To screen for both conditions, a mental health professional must perform a proper evaluation in order to differentiate between DMDD and bipolar disorder.
A word from the doctor
Children with DMDD may face significant problems in their lives as a result of the condition. You should seek treatment if you suspect that your child may have this condition in the future, as it can increase the risk of depression and anxiety later in life.
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