Comparing the characteristics and outcomes of parent- and teacher-reported oppositional defiant disorder: findings from a national sample.

BACKGROUND: Parents and teachers often disagree on the presence of Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) in children. It has been argued that ODD should be treated as an informant-specific disorder. This study compared the characteristics of children identified with ODD by parent- and teacher report.

METHODS: We used the 1999 British Child and Adolescent Mental Health Survey, including more than 10,000 observations aged 5-15 years, to investigate symptom profiles, risk factors, comorbidities and three-year outcomes of parent- and teacher-reported ODD.

RESULTS: Parents and teachers poorly agreed on ODD diagnosis. Parent-reported ODD was more strongly associated with a concurrent anxiety disorder at time1 and a successive diagnosis of ODD at time2 . Beyond these differences, parent- and teacher- reported ODD showed similar symptom profiles, risk factors, comorbidities, and outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS: Children identified by parent report and teacher report share more similarities than differences in the characteristics of their disorder. This does not support the formation of informant-specific ODD disorders.