Oppositional Defiant Disorder
(ODD)
Written by:Jim Chandler, MD, FRCPC
(last update February 14, 2001)
Reprinted with permission
What is it?
ODD is a psychiatric disorder that is characterized by two different sets of
problems. These are aggressiveness and a tendency to purposefully bother and
irritate others. It is often the reason that people seek treatment. When ODD
is present with ADHD, depression, tourette's, anxiety disorders, or other
neuropsychiatric disorders, it makes life with that child far more difficult.
For Example, ADHD plus ODD is much worse than ADHD alone, often enough to
make people seek treatment. The criteria for ODD are:
A pattern of negativistic, hostile, and defiant behavior lasting at least six
months during which four or more of the following are present:
- Often loses temper
- often argues with adults
- often actively defies or refuses to comply with adults' requests or rules
- often deliberately annoys people
- often blames others for his or her mistakes or misbehavior
- is often touchy or easily annoyed by others
- is often angry and resentful
- is often spiteful and vindictive
The disturbance in behavior causes clinically significant impairment in
social, academic, or occupational functioning.
How often is "often"?
All of the criteria above include the word "often". But what exactly does
that mean? Recent studies have shown that these behaviors occur to a varying
degree in all children. These researchers have found that the "often" is best
solved by the following criteria.
**Has occurred at all during the last three months**
5. blames others for his or her mistakes or misbehavior
8. is spiteful and vindictive
**Occurs at least twice a week**
1. loses temper
2. argues with adults
3. actively defies or refuses to comply with adults' requests or rules
6. is touchy or easily annoyed by others
**Occurs at least four times per week**
4. deliberately annoys people
7. is angry and resentful
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