What is Oppositional Defiant Disorder

Oppositional Defiant Disorder is a controversial psychiatric condition described in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Psychiatric Disorders (DSM). Although it was included for the first time in the DSM III-R, there is a great deal of discussion about the studies that led to the inclusion in the manual considered to be the bible for diagnosis and treatment of psychiatric and psychological disorders.

There is disagreement in part because many of the terms used to describe the condition are ambiguous and contain few if any specific definitions of time factors. In fact, the operative work for many of the listed symptoms is "often".

The basic description is essentially a pattern of defiant, disobedient, hostile or negativistic behavior in a child which has lasted at least six months, and is beyond the scope of what is to be expected of children in the particular age group that the child is a part of. Additionally, the child must be exhibiting such behavior more frequently than observed in children of like age and level of development.

Next, the disruptive behavior must be the cause of substantial impairment in the child's ability to function occupationally, academically, or socially. If the child exhibits the behavior during another type of psychiatric episode, and during no other time, the problem is considered to be a manifestation of the other disorder.

If the criteria are met for Conduct Disorder or in a person age 18 or move, the criteria for Antisocial Personality Disorder are met, then the symptoms are considered to be associated with those two conditions.

The duration must be at least four months of symptom manifestation to be considered Oppositional Defiant Disorder, and at least four of the individual symptoms must be present in order to accept the diagnosis of ODD.

It is rare for Oppositional Defiant Disorder to appear alone and studies are still being done to try to determine whether it should in fact be considered as a separate psychiatric condition, or perhaps it would be more appropriately classified as results of the frustrations of other physical or environmental conditions.

It is estimated that over 5% of children could be diagnosed with the condition. In younger children it is more commonly found in boys, but in older age groups, the ratio of boys to girls is nearly equal.

The disorder is an exhausting one for parents and children alike with positive results being measured in minutes of good behavior rather than hours or days.