Do Parents Find it Helpful to Receive A Diagnosis of Oppositional Defiant Disorder for their Child?

Diagnostic labelling is a controversial issue, particularly when it comes to children. There are concerns about potential harmful effects of diagnosis, especially for Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD). There is a lack of research on parent perceptions of helpfulness of diagnosis, which is an important gap since parents of children with ODD are both the gatekeepers for treatment and the targets of parenting interventions. This study aimed to examine parent perceptions of the helpfulness of receiving a diagnosis of ODD for their child in families receiving an evidence-based parenting intervention, and to explore the reasons why it was considered helpful or unhelpful. Parents participating in parenting intervention for child ODD retrospectively completed questionnaires about receiving a diagnosis of ODD for their child on commencement of treatment. Of 244 parents completing questions at post-treatment, 134 parents (54.9%) reported that their psychologist diagnosed ODD for their child. Of those who reported receiving a diagnosis, 75.4% rated it extremely or somewhat helpful, 23.9% reported that it was neither helpful nor unhelpful, and just one parent (0.7%) rated it as somewhat unhelpful. The reasons for helpfulness were endorsed at high rates, with more than 90% reporting increased understanding of child behavior, understanding effective programs or strategies, and increased motivation to implement intervention strategies. No significant differences in perceptions of helpfulness emerged for parent gender, child exposure to adverse experiences, and previous ODD diagnosis. The findings appear to challenge concerns about the harmful effects of diagnostic labelling for children and point to a need for further research.