Phasic Irritability

Phasic irritability is described as more heritable and more longitudinally stable than tonic irritability. Phasic irritability refers to behavioural outbursts of intense anger that may include verbal or physical aggression. Phasic irritability is uniquely associated with maladaptive parenting in self-report data. Phasic irritability is linked to externalising conditions including ADHD, ODD, conduct disorder, and substance use disorder. The UTOPICA study hypothesizes that phasic irritability independently predicts externalising outcomes and has greater long-term stability than tonic irritability.