Daily Tantrums for Preschoolers are Not Normal

Written by: Irada Yunusova

     Some parents assume that their child's frequent tantrums are a normal aspect of childhood, but research has recently shown that this is not the case. Daily tantrums should actually be a concern for parents because such behavior may be indicative of emerging mental health problems.

     Recently, researchers at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine conducted a study concerning tantrums using the Multidimensional Assessment of Preschool Disruptive Behavior. They surveyed nearly 1,500 parents of preschoolers ages 3 to 5 about their children's behavior in the past month. 84 percent of parents reported their children occasionally having tantrums. However, only 9 percent of parents reported daily tantrums.

     The findings in this study will allow researchers to rate children along a dimension of behavior from typical to atypical. Traditional categorical mental healthy diagnoses in the past focused only on extreme behaviors. However, a continuum allows mental health professionals to intervene before there is a serious problem or to watch and wait if a child is in the middle range. Additionally, a continuum acts as a scale with which a mental health professional can determine whether a child is improving.

     Further research concerning tantrums is continuously conducted. Currently, Lauren Wakschlag, Margaret Briggs-Gowan, Joel Voss, and other collaborators are attempting to link tantrum patterns to their underlying brain structures, utilizing brain-imaging techniques such as event-related potential and fMRI. They hope to be able to widely distribute the study's questionnaire in a brief computerized form for parents to fill out in pediatric waiting rooms. Afterward, a computer will generate immediate feedback for pediatricians to look over before a child's appointment.

     New findings concerning children's tantrums are facilitating more accurate diagnoses. It is imperative that doctors and parents identify when a child's misbehavior may be an indication of something serious. Early recognition can lead to early treatment and improvement.

Source: Monitor on Psychology, Amy Novotney