Oppositional Defiant Disorder Research Paper

Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) is defined as a recurring pattern of negative, hostile, disobedient, and defiant behavior in a child or adolescent that lasts for at least six months without serious violation of the basic rights of others (Oppositional). Because it takes months to decide whether or not a child has ODD, parents may think there child is just being disobedient. The behavior must cause significant problems in social, school, or work functioning in order to meet the DSM-IV criteria for ODD. This disorder varies among patients. During the school years, patients may have low self-esteem, mood swings, and a low frustration tolerance. Patients may swear and use alcohol, tobacco, or illicit drugs at an early age (Oppositional). Children …show more content…
In fact it takes months and could take over a year for a child to be diagnosed. On top of that there is no specific test a child can receive to determine if he or she has this disorder. A mental health professional can determine whether a child or adolescent has the disorder by assessing the child’s symptoms and behaviors and by using clinical experience to make a diagnosis( ). Like in all families the first doctor called is the child’s primary care physician. This evaluation typically begins by compiling a medical history and performing a physical examination( ). The child’s physician normally looks for things that may cause the negative behaviors. If the physician cannot find out the causes, he or she usually refers the child to an adolescent psychiatrist or a mental health professional. Both adolescent psychiatrist and mental health professionals are trained to diagnose and treat mental illnesses in children. A child and adolescent psychiatrist or a qualified mental health professional usually diagnoses ODD(). One of the two usually diagnose a child with oppositional defiant disorder. The doctors will gather information from teachers and parents. Gathering information from as many people as possible will help the doctor determine how often the behaviors occur and where. It also will help the doctor determine how the behaviors affect the different areas of the child’s life(). The mental …show more content…
Head start is a great way to help prevent the disorder. Children in Head Start learn social skills and also how to manage their anger. A home visit to high-risk children also has been shown to help prevent oppositional defiant disorder among preschoolers(). Among adolescents, psychotherapy (talk therapy), social-skills training, vocational training, and help with academics can help reduce disruptive behavior(). Prevention of ODD begins with good parenting. If at all possible, families and the caregivers they encounter should be on the lookout for any problem that may prevent parents from giving children the structure and attention they need(). Psychotherapeutic is the correct definition of the parent and the child going through the treatment together. During this treatment the parents will learn to increase positive interactions with their child and give the child consistent consequences to disruptive behavior. Pharmacological medicines are not specifically indicated for oppositional defiant disorder. However, as many children with ODD have co-occurring conditions such as ADHD, they may be on medications for those other disorders. In addition, some children are so troubled by their own aggression, and their difficulties managing their painfully low frustration tolerance, that a clinician may recommend medication—like psychostimulants used