Effectiveness of Parent Management Training on Coping Responses and Social Competence in Students with Oppositional Defiant Disorder

Objective: The present study aimed to determine the effectiveness of parent management training on coping responses and social competence in students diagnosed with Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD). Methods and Materials: The research method was quasi-experimental and applied, employing a pretest-posttest design with a control group. The statistical population of this study included all male students aged 8 to 11 years attending counseling centers in the city of Tonekabon, along with their mothers, in the year 2024. The sample consisted of 30 individuals selected based on inclusion criteria and purposive sampling, then randomly assigned to an experimental group and a control group (15 participants per group). Data were collected using the Ayer and Sandler (1999) Children’s Coping Responses Questionnaire and the Kohn (1972) Social Competence Questionnaire. The mothers in the experimental group received parent management training, while the mothers in the control group did not receive any intervention and remained on a waiting list. After the sessions were completed, the children in both groups were re-assessed. After data collection, descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (multivariate and univariate analysis of covariance) were used to analyze the data with SPSS version 27. Findings: The results indicated that parent management training was effective in improving the social competence of students with ODD. Additionally, the findings revealed that parent management training was effective in enhancing the coping responses of students with ODD. Conclusion: Parent management program can help enhancing coping responses and social competence in students with ODD.