Anxiety and oppositional defiant disorder: a transdiagnostic conceptualization

Abstract

This review puts forth a transdiagnostic lens through which to examine the oft-found comorbidity between anxiety and oppositional defiant disorder in children and adolescents. Children who experience these co-occurring disorders may be at greater risk for adverse outcomes. Our review begins with a broad examination of the comorbidity between anxiety and oppositionality and then highlights three underlying processes that characterize both anxiety and oppositionality: emotion regulation difficulties, information processing biases, and specific parenting practices. These underlying processes are then discussed within the context of developing a treatment to target these transdiagnostic processes for families with a child who experiences comorbid anxiety and oppositionality. Our review concludes with future directions for this emerging area of research.