Work

Gender of parental respondents and irritability ratings on the affective reactivity index in Japanese children

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Information on child irritability varies by informant, yet little is known about how ratings differ between male and female parent respondents, and psychometric evidence for father-reported irritability is scarce. This study evaluated the psychometric properties and measurement invariance of the Japanese Affective Reactivity Index Parent-Report Form (ARI-p) across parent respondent gender groups, then examined group differences and their interactions with sociodemographic variables. In a two-wave community-based online panel survey, 4,800 parents (2,633 male and 2,167 female parent respondents) of children aged 6–18 years completed the ARI-p, the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), and demographic questions; 3,847 (80.1%) completed a follow-up after two months. The ARI-p showed good internal consistency (α = 0.885, 95% CI [0.880, 0.890]) and moderate test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.570, 95% CI [0.548, 0.591]). Approximate configural, metric, and scalar measurement invariance was supported, with qualifications including an elevated RMSEA. The ARI-p correlated positively with SDQ Emotional Symptoms (ρ = .46) and modified Conduct Problems (ρ = .50), and each one-point increase was associated with higher odds of a parent-reported disruptive mood dysregulation disorder classification (OR = 1.53, 95% CI [1.41, 1.65]). Score distributions were similar between the two respondent groups (p = .211); after adjusting for sociodemographic variables, male parent respondents reported slightly higher scores (B = 0.32, 95% CI [0.15, 0.48], p < .001), with no statistically detectable gender-by-sociodemographic interactions (p = .541). The Japanese ARI-p is reliable and valid for community samples, and the gender of parental respondents merits consideration when interpreting irritability ratings.

Source: Journal of Affective Disorders Reports

DOI: 10.1016/j.jadr.2026.101156

Authors: Fumito Takahashi, Kohei Kishida, Emi Furukawa, Ellen Leibenluft

Institutions: Shinshu University, Kobe University, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, National Institute of Mental Health

Language: English

Topic: Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development

Subfield: Clinical Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,630