Predictor and moderator effects in the treatment of oppositional defiant disorder in pediatric primary care.

OBJECTIVE

To examine predictors and moderators of parent-training outcomes for treatment of Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) in pediatric primary care.

METHODS

Parents of 117 children with ODD, ages 3-6 years, seen in primary care received either a minimal intervention bibliotherapy treatment (MIT), or a 12-session parenting program led by a nurse or psychologist.

RESULTS

More initial total life stress, parenting distress, internalizing problems, functional impairment, and difficult temperament were associated with more improvement, but families scoring lower on those variables had fewer behavior problems at posttreatment and follow-up. Gender was a significant moderator, with more improvement for girls than boys in the nurse-led group but more improvement for boys than girls in the MIT group. Less well-educated mothers treated by psychologists showed the greatest change.

CONCLUSIONS

Predictors and moderators may play a role in deciding, which families receive a particular form of treatment for ODD in primary care.