About Oppositional Defiant Disorder
What does it look like?
How common is it?
What causes it?
How long does it last?
What treatments are effective?
A review of the evidence
What's new?
Resources

What causes it?
There is no good research into the causes of this condition.  About 60% of children with ODD have other psychiatric disorders, like major depression or Attention Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder, and their difficult behaviour appears to be the result of, or a reaction to, their other symptoms. About 30% of children with ODD do not have any other psychiatric disorder.

Children with ODD are more likely than the general population of children to have a family history of disruptive behaviour disorders, substance abuse, or mood disorders. In particular, having a mother with an untreated depressive disorder makes children vulnerable to behavioural disorders such as ODD.

Other factors that contribute to a development of ODD are a lack of consistent caregiving, low supervision of the child, family discord and violence.[1]

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1.	U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 1999. Mental Health: A Report to the Surgeon General. Rockville, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.