Objectives: Explore the relationships between posttraumatic irritability and patient-related factors. Hypothesis: Posttraumatic irritability (as defined by the Neuropsychiatric Inventory Irritability Domain >2) is related to depression, participation, social supports, religious coping, marriage quality, transportation, sleep, and fatigue. Participants: Fifty-nine participants in the Carolinas TBI Model System Database who are 2 years postinjury. Of the sample, the 17 with mild irritability (NPI < 2) were excluded, leaving a total sample of 42 for the analyses. Methods: Single-center, prospective, self-reported survey study employing commonly used, standardized measures. Results: NPI scores revealed that 27 (46%) had no irritability and were excluded from further analyses, 17 (29%) mild irritability, and 15 (25%) had moderate-to-severe irritability. Irritability was found to have statistically significant relationships with depression, social support, marriage quality, transportation, sleep, and fatigue. Conclusions: Findings point to the critical importance of irritability to marriage quality. This study provides an insight into this understudied and important problem, and lays the groundwork for future research and interventions.

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