A meta-analytic examination of follow-up studies of programs designed to prevent the primary symptoms of oppositional defiant and conduct disorders

Previous research has demonstrated that Oppositional Defiant (ODD) and Conduct Disorders (CD) cause significant hardship for the children and adolescents who manifest the disorders, their families and teachers, the victims of their crimes, and society through millions of dollars of public expense. Many programs have been created to prevent youth from obtaining these poor outcomes. Meta-analyses of 45 studies evaluating prevention programs for ODD and/or CD were conducted to determine the extent to which programs were effective at least 6 months after the end of the intervention. Results indicate that programs are having small, positive effects in the prevention of property violations, oppositional behavior, and aggression. In addition, studies relying on official records of schools, police, or courts demonstrated higher effect sizes than studies using parent, teacher, or self-reports. Implications for the prevention of disruptive behavior disorders are discussed.