Comparison of Two Psychosocial Therapies for Treating Children With Oppositional-Defiant Disorder
Condition: Oppositional-Defiant Disorder
MeSH terms: Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      This study will evaluate the effectiveness of two different psychosocial therapies, parent
      management training and collaborative problem solving, in treating children with
      oppositional-defiant disorder.
    

Detailed description: 
      Oppositional-defiant disorder (ODD) is characterized by a recurrent pattern of
      developmentally inappropriate levels of negative, defiant, disobedient, and hostile behavior
      toward authority figures. Behaviors associated with ODD include temper tantrums; persistent
      stubbornness; resistance to directions; unwillingness to compromise, give in, or negotiate;
      deliberate or persistent testing of limits; and verbal and minor physical aggression. The
      usual treatment approach for children with ODD is parent management training (PMT). PMT
      primarily involves teaching parents strategies to respond consistently and correctly to their
      child's behavior. However, PMT does not always lead to longstanding results and there is a
      need for alternative treatments. Collaborative problem-solving (CPS) is a treatment approach
      that involves both the parent and child by teaching parents to help their child control their
      emotions and to problem-solve as a family. This study will compare the effectiveness of CPS
      and PMT in treating children with ODD.

      Participants in this open-label study will include children with ODD and their parents.
      Participants will be randomly assigned to one of three groups: CPS, PMT, or waitlist control.
      Parents assigned to the CPS group will be taught strategies to help their child identify and
      regulate emotions and to solve behavior problems together as a family. Parents assigned to
      the PMT group will be taught how to respond consistently and appropriately to their child's
      positive and negative behaviors. Participants assigned to the waitlist control condition
      group will wait 10 weeks before treatment begins. Participants will attend a 1-hour treatment
      session each week for 10 weeks. In order to determine whether treatment is effective,
      participants will be asked to complete a variety of questionnaires, talk with their child
      about solving problems, and complete a structure diagnostic interview prior to the beginning
      of treatment, following treatment, and at a 1-year follow-up session. Parents will be asked
      to submit their child's school grades and school attendance records. If granted permission by
      the parents, the child's teacher will complete a questionnaire regarding the child's behavior
      in school for the year prior to participating in the study and up to 1 year after treatment.
      The information collected will help to determine how treatment affects each child's progress.
    

Intervention name(s): Parent management training (PMT); Collaborative problem solving (CPS); Waitlist control
Intervention type(s): Behavioral; Behavioral; Behavioral
Intervention description(s): PMT primarily involves teaching parents strategies to respond consistently and correctly to their child's behavior. Parents assigned to the PMT group will be taught how to respond consistently and appropriately to their child's positive and negative behaviors. Participants will attend a 1-hour treatment session each week for 10 weeks.; CPS is a treatment approach that involves both the parent and child by teaching parents to help their child control their emotions and to problem solve as a family. Parents assigned to the CPS group will be taught strategies to help their child identify and regulate emotions and to solve behavior problems together as a family. Participants will attend a 1-hour treatment session each week for 10 weeks.; Participants assigned to the waitlist control condition group will wait 10 weeks before beginning treatment one of the two treatment options.
Other intervention name(s): PMT; CPS
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Treatment
Keywords: Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders; Conduct Disorder; Behavior Problems in Youth; Argumentativeness; Children; Therapy; Attention Deficit Disorder