Understanding Pathways from Childhood Irritability to Psychopathology: A Scoping Study Review

Irritability can be a prominent characteristic of various psychopathologies, including childhood psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders. Genetic, environmental, and prenatal factors influence the development and progression of childhood irritability. This review aims to highlight the biological and behavioral pathways associated with childhood irritability, examine the relationship between irritability and childhood psychopathology, identify the existing gap in the literature, review these connections, and provide guidance for future research. Articles published on PubMed and Google Scholar from 2000 to 2023 were reviewed using a combination of search terms such as "childhood irritability,” “maternal stress,” and “prenatal stress.” The literature search yielded roughly 2,800 articles using the predefined search terms, of which 65 were deemed relevant to this scoping review. The articles reviewed identified a link between prenatal stress, childhood irritability, and the development of adult psychopathology. Pathological irritability and its emerging connection to maternal stress pose a risk factor for developing neurodevelopmental disorders and psychopathology in the pediatric population. Much of the current literature addresses the biopathophysiologic pathway linking maternal stress to childhood irritability in offspring. However, no interventional research studies have reported on how to interrupt this pathway or mitigate its progression with predictable outcomes. Therefore, identifying a critical period during childhood or adolescence when the progression from childhood irritability to adult psychopathology can be recognized may reduce the risk of developing neurodevelopmental disorders or psychopathology in childhood and throughout life.