What I see, what you say: How cross-method variation sharpens characterization of irritability in early childhood.

OBJECTIVES: Identification of clinically significant irritability in preschool age is important to implement effective interventions. However, varying informant and measurement methods display distinct patterns. These patterns are associated with concurrent and future mental health concerns. Patterns across multi-informant methods in early-childhood irritability may have clinical utility, identifying risk for impaired psychosocial functioning. METHODS: Using data from the Multidimensional Assessment of Preschoolers Study (N = 425), latent profile analysis identified irritability patterns through the parent-reported Multidimensional Assessment Profile Scales-Temper Loss (MAPS-TL), parent-reported interviewer-rated Preschool Age Psychiatric Assessment (PAPA), and observer-rated Disruptive Behavior Diagnostic Observation Schedule (DB-DOS). These profiles were characterized on protective factors, global functioning, and mental health syndromes, concurrently and at early school age and preadolescent follow-up. RESULTS: Fit indices favored a five-class model: Low All, High Observation with Examiner (high DB-DOS Examiner Context), High All, High Parent Report (high MAPS-TL/PAPA), and Very High Parent Report (very high MAPS-TL/PAPA). Whereas Low All and High Observation with Examiner exhibited strong psychosocial functioning, remaining profiles showed impaired psychosocial functioning, with the Very High Parent Report group showing higher impairment at follow-ups, ds = 0.37-1.25. CONCLUSIONS: Multi-informant measurements of irritability may have utility for clinical prediction, and future studies should test utility for diagnostic precision.

Attention control ability, mood state, and emotional regulation ability partially affect executive control of attention on task-irrelevant emotional stimuli.

Executive control of attention is important for goal-directed behavior, and it is influenced by emotional information. This study examined the effect of stimulus valence on a color word flanker task and how individual differences within a general population may affect task performance. 119 participants completed a color word flanker task with task-irrelevant emotional information (positive, negative, neutral). This task was followed by several self-report scales that measured individual differences in attention control ability (ACS), current mood (PANAS), and emotion regulation ability (DERS). Faster reaction times and greater accuracy were associated with negative stimuli. The flanker effect was greater for negative trials than for neutral and positive trials. The greater flanker effect for negative trials was driven by decreased reaction time on negative congruent trials. A significant interaction was evident between stimulus valence and ACS score, such that reaction time was faster for negative trials than for neutral trials among those with low, average, and high ACS. However, this difference was largest for those with high ACS. Further, these relationships between attention control ability and executive control of attention were influenced by level of depressive symptoms (as measured by BDI-II). This study extends our knowledge about the relationship between executive control of attention to emotional stimuli and individual differences related to mood and attentional disorders in a general population. Study results may have important implications for theoretical models of cognitive control and task-irrelevant emotional information across individual differences.