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Psychotherapy for Irritability in Youth: Comparing Active Treatment to Nonactive Psychoeducation Supportive Psychotherapy

NCT07640802 · Status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING · Type: OBSERVATIONAL · Enrollment: 410

Last updated 2026-08-11

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Background:

Irritability is defined as proneness to anger that may impair a person's ability to function. It is a common reason for why some children need mental health care. Yet no therapies have been developed just to target irritability. Researchers want to compare different types of therapy for irritability.

Objective:

To test different types of therapy for children and teens with severe irritability.

Eligibility:

People aged 8 to 16.5 years with severe irritability. Their parents are also needed.

Design:

Participants will have 28 study visits in 18 months.

They will have a baseline visit. They will answer questions about their mood, behavior, and daily life.

All parents and children will have 12 therapy sessions. Sessions will be once a week; they will last 30 to 60 minutes. Some of the child sessions may be done by telehealth.

Each parent and child will have 1 of 3 therapy types:

Exposure therapy (child). Participants will face things that make them angry. A therapist will help them practice managing their anger.

Management therapy (parent). Therapists will coach parents on ways to manage their child s behaviors.

Psychoeducation/supportive psychotherapy (child and/or parent). Participants will talk with therapists about their or their child s feelings and behaviors. They will list their problems and goals; build coping skills; learn to relax; improve communication; and work on managing stress.

Sessions may be videotaped. Participants may opt out of being recorded.

Participants will have phone calls every 2 weeks during therapy. They will answer questions about how they are doing. Follow-up calls will continue for 1 year after therapy.

Conditions

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Psychotherapy

Participants will receive either exposure-based cognitive behavioral therapy, parent management training, or psychoeducation supportive psychotherapy.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

    lead NIH

Principal Investigators

  • Melissa A Brotman, Ph.D. · National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

Eligibility

Min Age
8 Years
Max Age
17 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2026-08-16
Primary Completion
2036-12-31
Completion
2037-12-31

Countries

  • United States

Study Locations

More Related Trials

Entities

Diseases

Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT07640802 on ClinicalTrials.gov