Understanding DMDD

    Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder is very distressing for those affected, and for all who care about the child with the disorder. A child affected by DMDD will be between the ages of 6 of and 18 and will begin experiencing symptoms before the age of 10 (APA,2013). Temper tantrums in children are not unusual and a diagnosis of DMDD requires more than the occasional outburst. 

Symptoms

    A child with DMDD will have severe temper outbursts that are much longer and more intense than one would expect from whatever caused the tantrum. These outbursts will not be what you would expect from a child of the same age or level of development. A child with DMDD will usually experience these outbursts at least three times a week. A child with DMDD will be noticeably angry or irritable to multiple people in multiple settings (example: a parent at home and a teacher at school both notice the constant irritability and outbursts) (APA, 2013). 

Statistics

DMDD occurs in about 2-5% of children and adolescents (adolescents are those between the ages of 10 and 19). DMDD occurs more often in males than females and more often in children than in adolescents (APA, 2013) 

Disorders that Coexist with DMDD

    While severe tantrums and constant irritability make the child extremely uncomfortable, a diagnosis of DMDD also means that a child is likely to have other psychiatric disorders as well. 39 % of children  with DMDD have two psychiatric disorders and 51% have three or more psychiatric disorders. 74.5% of children with DMDD will have attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, 49% will have anxiety disorders and 33% will experience depression (Howard, 2016).

Possible Causes

    Researchers are still examining what causes DMDD. Some researchers believe that the brain of someone with DMDD functions differently than those without the disorder. One study found that children with DMDD symptoms experienced lower levels of amygdala (an area of the brain associated with emotion) activation compared to those without the disorder when interpreting facial expressions (Brotman et al., 2010). Another study found that children with symptoms of DMDD will experience more frustration than those without the disorder when completing tasks that require close attention (Rich et. al, 2010).

Treatment