Testing Multiple Conceptualizations of Oppositional Defiant Disorder in Youth

Recent theories conceptualize oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) as a two-dimensional construct with angry/irritable (i.e., affective) and argumentative/defiant (i.e., behavioral) components. This view has been supported by studies of nonreferred youth but not yet examined in clinic-referred youth. In a reanalysis of data regarding children who received one of two psychosocial ODD treatments, we examined multiple conceptualizations of ODD, whether children showed improvements across these ODD dimensions, and whether main and joint effects of ODD dimension improvement predicted clinical outcome. One hundred thirty-four clinic-referred youth (ages 7–14 years, 38% female, 84% White) who met Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.) criteria for ODD received 1 of 2 psychosocial treatments. At pretreatment, 1-week follow-up, and 6-month follow-up, mothers reported child aggression and conduct problems, clinicians reported global clinical impairment and clinical improvement, and ODD sympt...