Oppositional Defiant Disorder - 1846 Words

Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) is one of a group of behavioral disorders in the disruptive behavior disorders category. Children who have these disorders tend to be disruptive with a pattern of disobedient, hostile, and defiant behavior toward authority figures. These children often rebel, are stubborn, argue with adults, and refuse to obey. They have angry outbursts, have a hard time controlling their temper, and display a constant pattern of aggressive behaviors. ODD is one of the more common mental health disorders found in children and adolescents (AACAP, 2009). It is also associated with an increased risk for other forms of psychopathology, including other disruptive behavior disorders as well as mood or anxiety problems (Martel,†¦show more content†¦Identifying potential factors for modification early in development is crucial to facilitate innovations in the development of interventions that may alleviate the significant clinical and public health burden associat ed with these behaviors (Tung Lee, 2014). Based on the criteria by the American Psychiatric Association (APA), ODD is a diagnosis that is defined by a pattern of angry/irritable mood, argumentative/defiant behavior or vindictiveness. To meet the specific diagnostic criteria for ODD, the individual must demonstrate impairment in functioning and must meet at least four of the suggested disruptive symptoms, lasting at least 6 months as and exhibited during interaction with at least one individual who is not a sibling. The criteria includes: often loses temper, is touchy or easily annoyed, is often angry or resentful, often argues with authority figures or adults, actively defies or refuses to comply with requests from authority figures or with rules, often deliberately annoys others, blames others for misbehavior, has been spiteful 2x in the past 6 months (APA, 2013). Although the diagnostic criteria are relatively specific, there is still some relative subjectivity in determining the normative nature of the behaviors that may be observed in any one individual. Given this subjectivity, ODD, as a diagnostic category, is not consistently agreed upon by researchers and