Developmental psychology: oppositional defiant disorder
Oppositional Defiant Disorder: The child is unable to control emotions and behaviors. It can occur around the age of 6, although manifestations are also possible in the age of less than 5 and can continue until adolescence
Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) is a neuropsychiatric disorder characterized by difficulties in controlling emotions and behavior
It manifests itself through anger, irritability, and vindictive or oppositional behavior that lasts for a period of at least six months.
It usually occurs under the age of five but can continue and worsen until adolescence, becoming a behavior disorder, a Conduct Disorder.
CHILD’S HEALTH: LEARN MORE ABOUT MEDICHILD BY VISITING THE EMERGENCY EXPO BOOTH
There is no single cause that explains Oppositional Defiant Disorder
However, current scientific literature allows us to talk about risk and protective factors that influence the onset of symptoms and their development.
In particular, genetic risk factors (e.g. familiarity with the disorder) and environmental (e.g. the child is placed in a social, cultural and family environment that does not take care of the child or abuses him, both physically and psychological) may play an important role in triggering Oppositional Defiant Disorder.
Other risk factors are
- Situations of family instability;
- Particularly strict or too permissive education;
- Family history of behavior disorder;
- Other psychiatric pathologies in parents.
On the other hand, protective factors are considered a good quality of emotional relationships with the figures who take care of the child and a constant family education that transmits trust.
Children and adolescents with Oppositional Defiant Disorder often manifest
- Anger or irritability;
- Behaviors that question what they are told and provoke with defiant attitudes, especially towards people who represent authority (parents, teachers);
- Willingness to break the rules;
- Attitude of anger towards someone and vindictive;
- Blaming others for their own misconduct and wanting to irritate others.
The presence of oppositional-defiant behaviors is frequent during the child’s development, particularly in adolescence, and in the relationship with siblings.
However, it is necessary to carry out a neuropsychological and psychopathological investigation when these symptoms are present for at least 6 months continuously and are linked to a general impairment of the child’s functioning (social, scholastic and family).
Important factors for the diagnosis of Oppositional Defiant Disorder are the frequency and intensity with which the symptoms occur and its presence in multiple life contexts (e.g., home, school, sports) or with multiple people, who are not siblings or family members.
If these characteristics are present, a diagnosis of Oppositional Defiant Disorder can be made
The most recommended intervention for Oppositional Defiant Disorder is multimodal, i.e. a treatment for both the child and the family and school.
Individual cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy for the child is based on the ability to understand the mechanisms that precede aggressive responses and on the enhancement of behaviors useful for managing anger.
In this process, it is important to include the family nucleus through parent training interventions, i.e. a real path that allows parents to learn strategies useful for managing the child’s anomalous behavior.
This intervention can also be proposed for teachers in terms of teacher training.
In the most serious cases of Oppositional Defiant Disorder, or following the failure of individual psychological therapy, it is possible to resort to the use of psychotropic drugs to decrease the aggressiveness and impulsivity of the child.
This treatment must be supervised by a neuropsychiatrist and must be associated with the psychotherapeutic intervention described above.
The prevention of Oppositional Defiant Disorder and its psychopathological consequences (e.g. Conduct Disorder) takes place through the early activation of interventions that have been studied and have had a positive effect.
In particular, parent training already activated in pre-school age and aimed at managing the “initial” behaviors that the child presents can lead to a reduction in oppositional symptoms and counteract the worsening of the disorder.
If not treated in time, Oppositional Defiant Disorder has a negative evolution.
Frequently this disorder can in fact become a Conduct Disorder in adolescence or an Antisocial Personality Disorder in adulthood.
Read Also
Emergency Live Even More…Live: Download The New Free App Of Your Newspaper For IOS And Android
Pediatric Epilepsy: Psychological Assistance
First Aid And Medical Intervention In Epileptic Seizures: Convulsive Emergencies
Paediatrics, What Is PANDAS? Causes, Characteristics, Diagnosis And Treatment