Mood disorders in children with oppositional defiant disorder: a pilot study.

The nature and prevalence of comorbid mood disorders were explored in a group of 28 latency-age children diagnosed with oppositional defiant disorder. Findings are preliminary in nature but suggest that children with oppositional defiant disorder are at significant risk for low-grade depressive illness and that this may commonly be overlooked in the presence of their primary disorder's more overt symptoms.