Publications - Anger Management

One Twin Was Hurt, the Other Was Not. Their Adult Mental Health Diverged., by Ellen Barry, The New York Times, Mar 6 2024.

“Why do twins, who share so many genetic and environmental inputs, diverge as adults in their experience of mental illness? On Wednesday, a team of researchers from the University of Iceland and Karolinska Institutet in Sweden reported new findings on the role played by childhood trauma. Their study of 25,252 adult twins in Sweden, published in JAMA Psychiatry, found that those who reported one or more trauma in childhood — physical or emotional neglect or abuse, rape, sexual abuse, hate crimes or witnessing domestic violence — were 2.4 times as likely to be diagnosed with a psychiatric illness as those who did not. If a person reported one or more of these experiences, the odds of being diagnosed with a mental illness climbed sharply, by 52 percent for each additional adverse experience. Among participants who reported three or more adverse experiences, nearly a quarter had a psychiatric diagnosis of depressive disorder, anxiety disorder, substance abuse disorder or stress disorder. To disentangle the effects of these traumas from genetic or environmental factors, the researchers narrowed the pool to “discordant” pairs, in which only one twin reported maltreatment in childhood. An analysis of 6,852 twins from these discordant pairs found that childhood maltreatment was still linked with adult mental illness, though not as strongly as in the full cohort. A twin who reported maltreatment was 1.2 times as likely to suffer from a mental illness as the unaffected twin in identical twin pairs, and 1.7 times as likely in fraternal twin pairs. This effect was especially pronounced among subjects who reported experiencing sexual abuse, rape and physical neglect. ”

If You're Often Angry Or Irritable, You May Be Depressed, by Nell Greenfieldboyce, NPR, Feb 4 2019.

“Many people — including physicians — associate depression with feelings of hopelessness, sadness and a lack of motivation or concentration, but not anger. Some researchers say that's a problem, given that there appears to be a strong link between irritability and depression. If you pick up what is often called the "bible of psychiatry," the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, you'll find that the list of core symptoms for major depression doesn't include anger.   "It's not included at all in the adult classification of depression," says Dr. Maurizio Fava, a psychiatrist at Massachusetts General Hospital and a professor at Harvard Medical School. But he points out that irritability — a reduced control over one's temper that results in angry outbursts — is listed as a core symptom of depression for children and adolescents. It has never made sense to him that it's not included for adults. "Why would someone who happens to be irritable and angry when depressed as an adolescent suddenly stop being angry at age 18?" he asks. ”

Even with insurance, getting mental health treatment is a struggle in Mass., study says, by Liz Kowalczyk, Boston Globe, Dec 11 2018.

“Massachusetts residents who need health care are colliding with a hard reality: Having medical insurance doesn’t guarantee you can get treatment, particularly for psychiatric problems. More than half of adults who sought mental health or addiction treatment in recent months had difficulty getting that care, according to a survey of 2,201 residents by the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation in Boston...The obstacle wasn’t a lack of insurance; the vast majority of patients were insured. Rather, the problem was that providers either did not accept their insurance or their practices were closed to new patients. ”

Can a teen’s anger mean a mental disorder?, by Kotz, Deborah, Boston Globe , Jul 9 2012.

“While most teens have a violent, angry outburst at some point during their adolescence, nearly 8 percent have regular violent outbursts that would fall into the category of a mental health disorder. That’s according to a Harvard Medical School finding published online last Monday in the Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the first studies to measure the prevalence of the disorder - called intermittent explosive disorder- in teens. ”

Is This Teen Angst or an Uncontrollable Anger Disorder?, by Alexandra Sifferlin, Time , Jul 3 2012.

“With all those raging hormones, every teenager is bound to "lose it" at one time or another. But a recent study suggests that adolescents' attacks of anger may indicate something more serious than your standard puberty-related mood swings: nearly two-thirds of youth report having had a bout of uncontrollable anger that involved threatening violence, destroying property or engaging in violence toward others, and nearly 8%--or close to 6 million teens--meet the criteria for intermittent explosive disorder (IED), which is characterized by persistent, out-of-control anger attacks that can't be explained by a mental or medical disorder or substance use. ”

New Guidelines to Curb Childhood Aggression, by Rick Nauert, Jun 1 2012.

“Childhood aggression is a common, yet complex behavior. New recommendations to aid in the care of youth have been released to primary care providers and mental health specialists. ”

With Disruptive Kids, MDs Should Assess for Early Mental Illness, by Rick Nauert, Psych Central, Apr 30 2012.

“Mental illnesses are the number 1 cause of medical disability in youths ages 15 and older in the United States and Canada, according to the World Health Organization. And mental health researchers are reaching out to pediatricians to improve early detection of mental disorders. ”

Support Program Helps Caregivers of Mentally Ill Cope, by Traci Pedersen, Psych Central , Jun 28 2011.

“Caring for a family member with mental illness can take its toll, but a widely available education and support program for relatives of the mentally ill called Family-to-Family (FTF) can significantly improve a family's coping ability. ”

Doing Anger Differently, by Michael Currie, 2008.

What Angry Kids Need: Parenting Your Angry Child Without Going Mad, by Jennifer Anne Brown, 2008.

What to Do When Your Temper Flares: A Kid's Guide to Overcoming Problems With Anger, by Dawn Huebner, 2007.

Getting a Grip: The Heart of Anger Handbook for Teens, by Lou Priolo, 2007.

Healthy Anger: How to Help Children and Teens Manage Their Anger, by Bernard Golden, 2006.

Out of control anger, by Carey Goldberg, Boston Globe , Aug 8 2005.

“They used to just call it a bad temper and tell you to count to 10. Then came bunches of guys sitting around in circles and learning 'anger management.' ”

Parent Management Training: Treatment for Oppositional, Aggressive, and Antisocial Behavior in Children and Adolescents, by Alan E. Kazdin, 2005.