Attention Bias Modification, Attention Control and Psychoeducation for Irritability in Children and Adolescents

Randomized Clinical Trial Comparing Attention Bias Modification, Attention Control and Psychoeducation for Irritability in Children and Adolescents

The aim of this project is to evaluate the efficacy of an attention bias modification training if compared to an attention control and psychoeducation to reduce the symptoms of irritability among children with high levels of irritability.

Children with high levels of irritability have showed significant bias towards threatening faces. Computerized training programs have showed to be able to successfully modify these biases in children with mood and anxiety disorders. Of particular importance, a study examined the effects of attention training towards positive stimuli on attention biases and anxiety symptoms in pediatric anxiety disorders. In the attention-towards-positive condition, children searched picture arrays for a happy face amongst angry faces. In the attention-training control condition, children searched for a bird amongst flowers. This study showed significantly greater reductions in clinician-rated diagnostic severity and number of diagnoses of anxiety with that training. However, no study has investigated the role of these training in children and adolescents with high levels of irritability The present project, aims to examine the effects of the attention bias modification training and compare to attention-training control condition and psychoeducation in children with high levels of irritability.

Inclusion Criteria:

• children aged 9 to 12 years with symptoms of irritability who scored above the 90% percentile for their existing symptoms on Affective Reactivity Index

Exclusion Criteria:

• a diagnosis of intellectual disability.