Parent–Child Relationship and Marital Quality of Parents of Conduct or Oppositional Defiant Disorder and Unaffected Individuals: A Comparative Study

Abstract

Conduct and Oppositional Defiant Disorders focus on certain disruptive and aggressive behaviour exhibited by a child or adolescent in relation to social norms and rules of conduct. Many factors related to family and parental functioning have been found to have an immense influence in the development and maintenance of Conduct Disorder (CD) and Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD). The purpose of the present study was to explore the parent–child relationship and marital quality in parents of children with CD/ODD and parents of the comparative group. The study group comprised 60 parents (30 mothers and 30 fathers) of children with CD/ODD, and the comparative group comprised of 60 parents of unaffected individuals. t test was computed. Findings revealed that the parent–child relationship of the parents of the study group was characterized by low attachment and communication; lack of consistent parenting; low involvement, parental confidence, and satisfaction with school; and high parental stress. Findings also indicated overall poorer marital life in parents of the study group involving lower understanding, level of satisfaction, involvement in decision-making process, self-disclosure, trust and role functioning; and greater feeling of rejection from spouse, despair, discontent and dissolution potential.