TORONTO – Young children who have daily temper tantrums are significantly more likely to have behavioral and emotional problems than are children who have tantrums weekly or less than weekly, a study of 1,478 children has shown.
Previous studies have found that about 70% of young children have temper tantrums. The data also have shown that the number and nature of the tantrums can differ between children with psychopathology and healthy children, said Dr. Heide Hullsiek of the University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, and her colleagues.
To determine which characteristics of temper tantrums might be clinically significant, the researchers recruited 751 boys and 727 girls from pediatric primary care settings in Chicago. About one-third of the children were white, one-third were black, and one-third were Hispanic. The children were aged 3-5 years.
Parents completed the Multidimensional Assessment of Preschool Disruptive Behavior (MAP-DB), which includes an assessment of temper loss, aggression, noncompliance, and low concern for others. Anxiety was measured using parents’ responses to the Separation Distress and General Anxiety Subscales of the Infant-Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment.
About 79% of children with daily tantrums related to noncompliance had additional behavioral problems, compared with 20% of children with weekly tantrums, and 1% of children with less than weekly tantrums. In addition, behavioral and emotional problems were significantly associated with a greater frequency of temper tantrums related to aggression, noncompliance, a low concern for others, general anxiety, and separation distress.
Overall, high levels of behavioral problems were significantly more likely among children with daily tantrums, compared with those with either weekly tantrums or less than weekly tantrums. "Interestingly, although problems were much less prevalent in the weekly tantrum group, they were still significantly more common compared to the less than weekly group," Dr. Hullsiek noted.
The frequency of tantrums decreased with age, but no significant difference was found in the frequency of tantrums per week between boys and girls. In addition, neither poverty status nor maternal education had a significant impact on the frequency of tantrums.
From an early detection perspective, daily temper tantrums warrant further evaluation from providers, the study results indicated. Areas for further investigation include the association between daily temper tantrums and developmental patterns, and signs of emotional dysregulation, Dr. Hullsiek added.
Dr. Hullsiek said she had no relevant financial disclosures. The study was funded by a grant from the National Institute of Mental Health.