Journal Article

Co-Occurring Conduct Problems and Anxiety: Implications for the Functioning and Treatment of Youth with Oppositional Defiant Disorder

Ollendick, Thomas H., Drabick, Deborah A. G., Fraire, Maria G, Halldorsdottir, Thorhildur

2023

Overview

Conduct problems and anxiety symptoms commonly co-occur among youths with oppositional defiant disorder (ODD); however, how these symptoms influence functioning and treatment outcomes remains unclear. This study examined subtypes based on these co-occurring symptoms in a clinical sample of 134 youths (Mage = 9.67, 36.6% female, 83.6% white) with ODD and the predictive power of these subgroups for youth functioning and psychosocial treatment outcomes. The latent profile analysis (LPA) was used to identify subgroups based on parent- and self-reported conduct problems and anxiety symptoms. Differences among the subgroups in clinician-, parent-, and/or self-reported accounts of symptom severity, school performance, underlying processing known to be impaired across ODD, conduct and anxiety disorders, self-concept, and psychosocial treatment outcomes were examined. Four distinct profiles were identified: (1) Low Anxiety/Moderate Conduct Problems (n = 42); (2) High Anxiety/Moderate Conduct Problems (n = 33); (3) Moderate Anxiety/Moderate Conduct Problems (n = 40); and (4) Moderate Anxiety/High Conduct Problems (n = 19). The Moderate Anxiety/High Conduct Problems group exhibited more severe behavioral problems, greater difficulties with negative emotionality, emotional self-control, and executive functioning; they also demonstrated worse long-term treatment outcomes than the other subgroups. These findings suggest more homogeneous subgroups within and across diagnostic categories may result in a deeper understanding of ODD and could inform nosological systems and intervention efforts.

• Publisher: MDPI AG,MDPI
• Subject: Adolescent / Aggressiveness / Analysis / Anxiety / Anxiety disorders / Anxiety Disorders - complications / Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders / Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity - psychology / Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder / Behavior disorders / Book publishing / Care and treatment / Child psychopathology / Children & youth / Clinical outcomes / Comorbidity / Conduct Disorder / Evidence-based medicine / Executive function / Female / Humans / Intervention / Learning / Male / Oppositional defiant disorder in children / Problem Behavior - psychology / Ratings & rankings / Self control / Self esteem / Self report / Study skills / Teenagers / Youth