The Affective Reactivity Index: a concise irritability scale for clinical and research settings

Abstract

BackgroundIrritable mood has recently become a matter of intense scientific interest. Here, we present data from two samples, one from the United States and the other from the United Kingdom, demonstrating the clinical and research utility of the parent- and self-report forms of the Affective Reactivity Index (ARI), a concise dimensional measure of irritability.MethodsThe US sample (n = 218) consisted of children and adolescents recruited at the National Institute of Mental Health meeting criteria for bipolar disorder (BD, n = 39), severe mood dysregulation (SMD, n = 67), children at family risk for BD (n = 35), or were healthy volunteers (n = 77). The UK sample (n = 88) was comprised of children from a generic mental health setting and healthy volunteers from primary and secondary schools.ResultsParent- and self-report scales of the ARI showed excellent internal consistencies and formed a single factor in the two samples. In the US sample, the ARI showed a gradation with irritability significantly increasing from healthy volunteers through to SMD. Irritability was significantly higher in SMD than in BD by parent-report, but this did not reach significance by self-report. In the UK sample, parent-rated irritability was differentially related to emotional problems.ConclusionsIrritability can be measured using a concise instrument both in a highly specialized US, as well as a general UK child mental health setting.

Irritability in boys with autism spectrum disorders: an investigation of physiological reactivity

“…Irritability was measured using the Affective Reactivity Index (ARI; Stringaris, Goodman, et al., 2012), a 6‐item scale that is both parent‐ and self‐reported. The ARI asks about symptoms of irritability in the previous 6 months and includes a 7th item assessing impairment due to irritability.…”

“…The ARI asks about symptoms of irritability in the previous 6 months and includes a 7th item assessing impairment due to irritability. The scale showed excellent internal consistencies in TD children, with Cronbach's alphas 0.89 (parent‐report) and 0.90 (self‐report; Stringaris, Goodman, et al., 2012). …”

“…Such behaviors feature, for example, on the irritability subscale of the Aberrant Behavior Checklist (ABC; Aman, Singh, Stewart, & Field, 1985). By contrast, in TD children, irritability refers to a mood that may or may not lead to aggression (Leibenluft, 2011; Mikita & Stringaris, 2013; Stringaris, Goodman, et al., 2012). Despite these purported differences, recent studies suggest that irritability in ASD and TD youth may share important characteristics.…”

Cross-cultural adaptation and preliminary psychometric properties of the Affective Reactivity Index in Brazilian Youth: implications for DSM-5 measured irritability

“…3 The ARI investigates three aspects of irritability: a) threshold for an angry reaction; b) frequency of angry feelings/behaviors; c) duration of such feelings/ behaviors. The conceptualization of the ARI defines irritability as a mood of easy annoyance involving anger and temper outbursts.…”

The Genesis 12–19 (G1219) Study: A Twin and Sibling Study of Gene–Environment Interplay and Adolescent Development in the UK

“…Hyperactivity (Achenbach, 1991) 3 Callous-unemotional traits (Essau et al, 2006) 4 Hopelessness (Beck et al, 1974) 3 Attributional style (Thompson et al, 1998) 3 2, 3 Prosocial behavior (SDQ; Goodman, 1997) 2, 3 3 Shame (adapted from Andrews et al, 2002) 2 5-Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (adapted from Baer et al, 2006) 5 10-Item Personality Inventory (Gosling et al, 2003) 5 Affective Reactivity Index (Stringaris et al, 2012a) 5 Coordination (Elisabeth Hill) 5 Substance use…”