The Effectiveness of Emotion-oriented Therapy on Oppositional Defiant Disorder Symptoms and Anxiety in ODD Children

Objective: Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) is a behavioral disorder that  young children with this disorder exhibit uncooperative, defiant, and hostile behaviors towards their peers, parents, teachers, and other authoritative figures. This particular investigation was undertaken with the aim of ascertaining the impact of emotion-oriented therapy on both the symptoms of defiant disorder and anxiety symptoms in children diagnosed with oppositional defiant disorder. Methods: A total of 30 children diagnosed with oppositional defiant disorder were selected utilizing purposive sampling technique and subsequently randomly allocated to experimental group (15 participants) and control group (15 participants). The data was collected through the utilization of the DSM-III-R diagnostic criteria for disruptive behavior disorders scale (Pelham et al., 1992) and Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale (SCAS). The experimental group underwent eight treatment sessions to receive the necessary training. Results: The results were subsequently analyzed using the statistical procedure known as analysis of covariance. The findings indicated that emotion-oriented therapy possesses the ability to influence both the symptoms of defiant disorder and anxiety symptoms in children suffering from oppositional defiant disorder. Conclusions: Consequently, it is recommended that psychologists and school counselors utilize this particular treatment method in order to mitigate the symptoms associated with this disorder and reduce anxiety levels in these children.