Oppositional Defiant Disorder

About Oppositional Defiant Disorder

Oppositional defiant disorder is a pattern of angry or irritable mood, argumentative or defiant behavior, or vindictiveness lasting at least six months and shown with at least one person who is not a sibling. DSM-5 groups its eight symptoms into three categories: angry and irritable mood, such as often losing temper, being touchy or easily annoyed, and being angry and resentful; argumentative and defiant behavior, such as arguing with adults or authority figures, actively refusing to comply with rules, deliberately annoying others and blaming others for mistakes; and vindictiveness. Because some oppositional behavior is a normal part of development, the frequency and persistence of behaviors are judged against what is typical for age and culture. Symptoms are often first seen at home and may later appear at school. It is a common reason for referral to child mental health services, frequently co occurs with ADHD, and in some children precedes the development of conduct disorder, while the irritable features are associated with later anxiety and depression. Contributing factors include temperament and patterns of harsh, inconsistent or neglectful parenting. Parent management training, which focuses on consistent routines, positive reinforcement and calm limit setting, has the strongest evidence, alongside collaborative problem solving, cognitive behavioral approaches for older children and support at school.