Longitudinal Associations between Oppositional Defiant Symptoms and Interpersonal Relationships among Chinese Children

• Published in: Journal of abnormal child psychology Vol. 46; no. 6; pp. 1267 - 1281
• Main Authors: Li, Longfeng, Lin, Xiuyun, Hinshaw, Stephen P., Du, Hongfei, Qin, Shaozheng, Fang, Xiaoyi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01.08.2018; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adolescent; Asian people; Attachment; Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders - physiopathology; Behavioral Science and Psychology; Bidirectionality; Child; Child and School Psychology; Children; Children & youth; China; Early intervention; Fathers; Female; Health teachers; Humans; Interpersonal Relations; Interpersonal Relationship; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Mothers; Multiple symptoms; Neurosciences; Object Attachment; Oppositional defiant disorder; Parent-Child Relations; Parents; Parents & parenting; Peer Group; Peer Relationship; Peer relationships; Peers; Personal relationships; Psychology; Public Health; Respondents; School Teachers; Social functioning; Student teacher relationship; Teachers; China; Longitudinal; Parent–child attachment; Oppositional defiant disorder; Teacher–student relationship; Peer relationship
• ISSN: 0091-0627; 2730-7166; 1573-2835; 2730-7174
• DOI: 10.1007/s10802-017-0359-5

Children with oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) are at increased risk for developing poor relationships with people around them, but the longitudinal links between ODD symptoms and subsequent interpersonal functioning remain unclear. In the current study, we examined the bidirectional associations between ODD symptoms and children’s relationships with parents, peers, and teachers. We included separate analyses for parent vs. teacher reports of ODD symptoms, with regard to subsequent interpersonal relationships. Participants included 256 children with ODD, recruited in China, along with their parents and teachers, assessed at three time points roughly two years apart. Parents and teachers reported child ODD symptoms at each time point, and children reported their perceptions of father– and mother–child attachment, peer relationships, and teacher–student relationships across the three time points. ODD symptoms reported either by parents or teachers predicted impairments in interpersonal functioning. Meanwhile, child interpersonal impairments with peers and teachers predicted subsequent increase in teacher-reported ODD symptoms. These findings highlight the importance of transactional models of influence—and of considering early intervention for ODD in protecting children from developing further deficits and impairments. Additionally, we discuss the perspectives of multiple informants on ODD symptoms, including their different patterns of association with subsequent interpersonal relationships.