Child Psychopathology: Oppositional Defiant Disorder Interventions
Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) is a recurrent or persistent negative, deviant or sometimes even aggressive behavior (Shader, 2002). This psychiatric syndrome occurs in childhood and adolescence. The final
diagnosis is based on history data that includes observation of child’s behavior by parents and teachers. Treatment of ODD includes individual psychotherapy combined with family therapy. Drug therapy can also be used as additional treatment or alternative intervention in case of ODD transition to a serious conduct disorder. Despite the fact that medications alone are rarely used for ODD treatment, they possess one important
advantage – they operate faster in correcting child’s behavior as well as in improving his social relations. Presenting certain risk for child’s organism, this intervention requires constant monitoring. Nevertheless,
medication might not always be enough and then, one of the most popular therapies – play therapy – is applied. Given the fact that children often face difficulties in clearly describing their emotions, game process allows
them to demonstrate their thoughts, feelings, desires and fears. With passive observation or active participation, a therapist interprets child’s problems and works on his inner conflicts. Therefore, the combination of
both therapies is the most efficient type of intervention for children with ODD.
Play Therapy Evaluation
Play therapy can be considered the most natural and effective form of working with children. This psychotherapeutic approach is used not only for helping children to work through their mental problems and emotionally traumatic experience, but it also aids in overcoming behavioral problems and the complexity of social development (O’Connor&Braverman, 1996). Throughout this therapy, the child begins to better understand his feelings, develops the ability to control his behavior and reactions, and increases self-esteem and communication skills.
The origins of play therapy lie in psychotherapy, and an important role in its further development was played by Melanie Klein and Anna Freud. They both used game approach when working with children, but the content
and understanding of the therapy and its technique were different. Klein believed that child’s behavior during playing is symbolic expression of the state of his psyche, of his unconscious desires and fantasies, like the
analogue of free association - the main method of psychoanalysis (O’Connor&Braverman, 1996). According to Klein, while playing a child externalizes his internal conflicts to make them more bearable as the features of the game liberate him from internal suffering (Kavaler-Adler, 2013). A therapist needs to interpret the play action of the child, thereby giving them further direction. Klein would observe a child's play and would take an active part in it. She interpreted the elements of the game in terms of their symbolic meanings, gave comprehensive, direct interpretation of the unconscious of the game material. In a language understandable for the child she spoke directly about love and sexual relations, about the aggressiveness, etc.
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