Comparison of the effectiveness of distress tolerance techniques and parents behavioral training on the self-efficacy of mothers with children with symptoms of oppositional defiant disorder

Background and Purpose: Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) is one of the most common behavioral disorders in children.In most families, mothers typically have a more significant caregiving and responsible role towards their children, which can lead to more challenges.This study examined the effectiveness of two interventions, Distress Tolerance techniques (DTT) and Parent Behavioral Training (PBT), on increasing the self-efficacy of mothers with children who are displaying signs of ODD.Method: This research was a quasi-experimental study of the pre-test-post-test-follow-up design with a control group.Measurements were conducted at the pre-test, post-test (after 8 weeks of interventions of DTT, and PBT), and a three-month follow-up.The study population consisted of mothers with children aged 7 to 12 years diagnosed with ODD in Isfahan in 2023.From this population, sixty mothers were selected using purposive sampling and assigned to three groups of 20: DTT group, PBT group, and control.The research instruments included the latest validated version of the Child Symptom Inventory-4 (CSI-4) (Gadow & Sprafkin, 2002) and the Parenting Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (Domka et al., 1996).Analyses were performed using version 26 of SPSS software and repeated measures ANOVA.Findings: The results of the ANOVA showed that both the DTT (F = 79.989) and PBT (F = 387.278)had a significant effect on mothers' self-efficacy, with self-efficacy scores significantly increasing in the post-test and follow-up stages.Additionally, self-efficacy in both the post-test and follow-up stages showed significant differences in the PBT and DTT groups compared to the control group.A significant difference was seen between the PBT and DTT groups in the follow-up stage; however, this difference was not significant in the post-test stage.Conclusion: Both DT and PBT techniques are effective in increasing the self-efficacy of mothers of children with symptoms of ODD; therefore, it is best to use both intervention programs in improving maternal mental health depending on the circumstances.