EPIDEMIOLOGY

PREVALENCE

The prevalence of oppositional defiant disorder varies greatly, with an estimated range of 2% to 11%. This variation is due in part to various factors, including:

VARYING INFORMANT SOURCES

parent
child
teacher reports of symptoms

ODD ACROSS LIFETIMES

ODD is rarely diagnosed in older children and adolescents, in part due to overlap in normative discord between children and their parents.
ODD is more common in preadolescent males than in females (1.4:1); however, this male predominance is not found in adolescents or adults.
Symptoms remain relatively stable between the ages of five and ten and are thought to decline afterward. The prevalence declined with increasing age