The Prevalence of Oppositional Defiant Disorder among Children in Selected primary schools in Nairobi County, Kenya

Susan Changorok, Ph.D. Candidate in Clinical Psychology; | Philemon Yugi, PhD; Winnie Waiyaki, Ph.D., and Alice Munene, Psy.D., Daystar University.

Abstract

There is an increase in the cases of defiance among children in primary schools in Kenya. This has an impact on the child and the families since a lot of time and money is needed to take care of such a child. The purpose of this study was to find out the prevalence of oppositional defiant disorder among children in selected primary schools in Nairobi County, Kenya. The study involved respondents aged between 9 to 14 years. Quasi experimental research design was used in the study with a sample size of 180 respondents. Two schools were selected using purposive sampling. The experimental group received CBT intervention for three months, while the control group did not. Data collected was analyzed using SPSS version 23 and descriptive statistics were generated. Reliability tests of the CADBI scores showed reliability at 0.8 to 0.9. The overall ODD prevalence was 79%, with males having a higher prevalence than females. ODD increased with respondent’s educational level. It is recommended that primary schools need to have psychologists to provided mental health services to children with ODD and offer timely intervention.

Keywords: oppositional defiant disorder, socio-demographic characteristics, prevalence, child and adolescent disruptive behavior inventory.