Introduction
Both oppositional defiant disorder and conduct disorder are related to behavioral issues and are often related to manifestations of anger. Before making this diagnosis, however, a social worker should distinguish these disorders and consider all the essential factors that could indicate whether the disorder is indeed present.
Oppositional Defiant Disorder
In terms of oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), it is important to consider whether all eight main symptoms are present (Corcoran & Walsh, 2019). The eight symptoms include frequent loss of temper, frequent arguments with others (with adults in the case of children), defying rules, annoying and blaming others, being easily annoyed, frequent bursts of anger, and vindictiveness (Burke & Romano-Verthelvi, 2018). It is also essential to consider that these symptoms must have been manifested continuously for at least 6 months for the diagnosis to be valid (Burke & Romano-Verthelvi, 2018). If these conditions are not met, other reasons for similar types of behavior must be considered.
Conduct Disorder
Conduct disorder (CD) has certain differences in comparison with ODD. The CD is manifested as severe antisocial behavior and is paired with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It is important to take into account that this disorder implies a lack of empathy and guilt in the child. The symptom that distinguishes CD from ODD is physical aggression (Fairchild et al., 2019).
Other manifestations include theft or property damage and violation of rules (Fairchild et al., 2019). A social worker must consider the persistence of the symptoms. If the symptoms are not continuously present but rather appear episodically, the diagnosis cannot be valid. This is related to the fact that conductive disorder can be classified as a personality disorder; that is, the patient diagnosed with this disorder does not experience periods of remission (Fairchild et al., 2019).
Suppose the child’s behavior fluctuates and the symptoms are not continuously present. In that case, the social worker must review what factors could have provoked the episodes of this behavior rather than explain them by a diagnosis.
Conclusion
Overall, before considering both diagnoses, it is important to review the following areas. Firstly, the child’s developmental history must be considered (Corcoran & Walsh, 2019). The details about the development history might indicate that some other factors might have influenced the behavior. Family dynamics, social factors, and other diagnoses that might be present need to be taken into consideration as well. The family factor is one of the most important ones, as most behavioral issues are caused by particular family situations. In general, it is necessary to consider the individual circumstances and needs of the child before considering one diagnosis over another.
When it comes to scriptures about anger, when working with patients diagnosed with these disorders, several of them can help the social worker. “Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.” (English Standard Version Bible, 2001, Proverbs 16:32): This could remind the social worker of the importance of being patient when working with people who can make one lose their temper. Social workers must also remember to forgive: “And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses” (English Standard Version Bible, 2001, Mark 11:25). Forgiveness and patience are key to working with clients with these diagnoses.
References
Burke, J. D., & Romano-Verthelyi, A. M. (2018). Oppositional defiant disorder. Developmental Pathways to Disruptive, Impulse-Control and Conduct Disorders, 21–52. Web.
Corcoran, J. and Walsh, J. (2019). Mental health in social work: A casebook on diagnosis and strengths-based assessment (3rd ed.). Pearson Education.
English Standard Version Bible. (2001). ESV Online. Web.
Fairchild, G., Hawes, D. J., Frick, P. J., Copeland, W. E., Odgers, C. L., Franke, B., Freitag, C.M. and De Brito, S. A. (2019). Conduct disorder. Nature Reviews Disease Primers, 5(1). Web.