Major depressive disorder and depressive symptoms in intermittent explosive disorder

It is estimated that between 1.7 and 2.6 million people have had intermittent explosive disorder (IED) during their life in the United States alone. Co-occurring psychiatric disorders are very common in IED, being major depressive disorder arguably the most common. The objective of this study was to examine the clinical correlates of IED and depressive manifestations in 74 treatment-seeking subjects. After controlling for confounders, there were associations between major depressive disorder and severity of depressive symptoms, and (a) higher assault scores, (b) more severe hostile behavior and (c) worse social adjustment. Management of depressive symptoms may be an important for IED treatment. •First paper specifically examining depressive manifestations on IED.•We conducted a broad clinical assessment and a comprehensive statistical analysis.•Association between depressive manifestations and worse aggressive symptoms.•IED patients with depressive symptoms/disorder had poorer social adjustment.•Depressive manifestations may be important on IED clinical presentation/treatment.