AUTHOR=Urben Sébastien , Habersaat Stéphanie , Palix Julie , Fegert Jörg M. , Schmeck Klaus , Bürgin David , Seker Süheyla , Boonmann Cyril , Schmid Marc 

TITLE=Examination of the importance of anger/irritability and limited prosocial emotion/callous-unemotional traits to understand externalizing symptoms and adjustment problems in adolescence: A 10-year longitudinal study

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychiatry

VOLUME=13

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.939603

DOI=10.3389/fpsyt.2022.939603

ISSN=1664-0640

ABSTRACT=<sec><title>Objective</title><p>Within a longitudinal study (10-year follow-up), we aim to examine the role of anger/irritability and limited prosocial emotion/callous-unemotional traits in predicting externalizing symptoms and adjustment problems in individuals formerly in youth residential care institutions.</p></sec><sec><title>Method</title><p>These dimensions were assessed in 203 young adults, with baseline assessments during youth residential care and a follow-up 10 years later.</p></sec><sec><title>Results</title><p>In general, emotional problems and psychopathological symptoms did not reduce over time. Analyses of regression revealed that a younger age at baseline, anger/irritability both at baseline assessment, and regarding their aggravation over time refer to significant predictors of the level of externalizing symptoms at 10-year follow-up (<italic>R</italic><sup>2</sup> = 0.431) and the worsening of externalizing symptoms over time (<italic>R</italic><sup>2</sup> = 0.638). Anger/irritability has been observed to be a significant predictors of both the level of adjustment problems at 10-year follow-up (<italic>R</italic><sup>2</sup> = 0.471) and its worsening over time (<italic>R</italic><sup>2</sup> = 0.656).</p></sec><sec><title>Discussion</title><p>Our results suggest that dysregulation of anger/irritability is a key factor in the prediction of long-term externalizing symptoms and adjustment problems as well as its worsening over time. Possible implications for intervention and prevention are discussed.</p></sec>