A 12-Year Prospective Study: Preschool Irritability Predicts Adolescent Psychopathology and Functional Impairment

This study sought to identify longitudinal associations between preschool chronic irritability and psychiatric disorders and functional impairment in adolescence. Preschool irritability predicted internalizing and externalizing disorders, parent-reported anxiety and depressive symptoms, and greater functional impairment even after controlling for baseline psychiatric disorders, thus highlighting the need for early identification.