Fourth Edition, September 2011

Occupational Therapists
Occupational therapists are health professionals who 
work in community mental health services and psychi-
atric inpatient services. They are part of the multidisci-
plinary team and their role is to help people to develop 
confi dence and skills in daily living using a variety of 
techniques, such as creative therapies and training in 
practical tasks.
Oppositional Defi ant Disorder (ODD)
Oppositional defi ant disorder is a diagnosis described 
as an ongoing pattern of disobedient, hostile, and de-
fi ant behaviour toward authority fi gures which goes 
beyond the bounds of normal childhood behaviour. 
Those aff ected may appear very stubborn and angry. 
Common features of Oppositional Defi ant Disorder 
(ODD) include excessive, often persistent, anger, fre-
quent temper tantrums or angry outbursts, and dis-
regard for authority.
Children and adolescents with this disorder often an-
noy others on purpose, blame others for their mis-
takes, and are easily annoyed. Parents often observe 
more rigid and defi ant behaviours than in siblings. In 
addition, these young people may appear resentful of 
others, and when someone does something they don’t 
like, they often take revenge on them.
Panic attacks 
Discrete periods of sudden onset of intense apprehen-
sion, fearfulness, or terror, often associated with feel-
ings of impending doom. During these attacks there 
are symptoms such as: shortness of breath or smoth-
ering sensations; palpitations, pounding heart, or ac-
celerated heart rate; chest pain or discomfort; choking; 
and fear of going crazy or losing control.
Panic attacks may be unexpected (uncued), in which 
the onset of the attack is not associated with a situa-
tional trigger and instead occurs “out of the blue”; 
situationally bound, in which the panic attack almost 
invariably occurs immediately on exposure to, or in 
anticipation of, a situational trigger (“cue”); and situa-
tionally predisposed, in which the panic attack is more 
likely to occur on exposure to a situational trigger but 
is not invariably associated with it.