Intermittent Explosive Disorder and Gender

Aggression is traditionally believed to be more common in men. However, recent research has suggested that the relationship between gender and aggression may be more nuanced than was originally believed, with men more likely to engage in some forms of aggression (e.g., physical violence) whereas other forms of aggression (e.g., verbal, relational) may occur at least as commonly in women. With respect to psychopathology, intermittent explosive disorder (IED) is the only psychological disorder that is defined by recurrent acts of excessive aggression. Despite the rich literature on the relationship between gender and aggression, gender is understudied in IED. This entry examines the extant research on the role of gender in the characteristics, clinical course, and correlates of IED.