Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder (DMDD) is a condition defined by frequent explosive outbursts occurring within the context of chronic, pervasive irritability, beginning in early childhood though not diagnosable until age 6. Circumstantial evidence classifies this condition as a mood disorder which is where it resides in the most recent Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM).
Among other issues, the criteria for DMDD were gerrymandered in the absence of an interview designed to elicit information about irritability separate from the conditions in which it is a symptom. Further, evidence suggests depression and anxiety are outcomes of DMDD however that does not account for the outcome of the outbursts. Thus, among other things, I will discuss the relationship of other mood and behavior disorders to DMDD and its assessment. I conclude with what we know so far about DMDD in community and clinical samples and how we might approach such children therapeutically until more prospective treatment studies are available.