Oppositional Defiant Disorder Causes
The Causes of Oppositional defiant disorder are unknown.
- The disorder runs in families, and family behaviors–especially parental responses as children begin to assert their independence—may play a role.
- There is a strong association between authoritarian parenting and harsh or inconsistent discipline practices and the onset of ODD.
- Many youth who meet criteria for ODD have a history of physically and or emotionally abusive parenting, and may also exhibit emotional dysregulation because of PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder)
- It is also true that “laissez-faire” parenting, (not setting enough limits) is associated with the onset of oppositional and defiant behavior.
- There is evidence that the onset or course of ODD may also involve brain dysfunction, but exactly what the relationship is, or what the dysfunction is has not been elicited, because many children with ODD also have other disorders known to be affected by neurobiological factors.