The quality of life of young people with Tourette syndrome.
BACKGROUND
The study examined a UK sample of 57 young people with Tourette syndrome (TS).


OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to consider the impact of TS on young people's Quality of Life (QoL).


METHODS
The study used a mixed methods design, combining focus groups and questionnaire data. Child report questionnaires measured QoL and TS symptom severity.


RESULTS
The results showed that the QoL of children with TS was significantly worse than that of children in a UK normative sample. Analysis of transcripts from the groups identified four main themes; 'TS can be distressing and disabling', 'struggling to fit into society's expectations of normal behaviour', 'needing to control tics' and 'TS is one part of who I am'.


CONCLUSIONS
Poorer QoL was associated with increased symptom severity in terms of tics, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder diagnosis and obsessive compulsive behaviours.
Cutler
D
D
Islington Community CAMH, Northern Health Centre, 3rd Floor, 580 Holloway Road, London N7 6LB, UK. dawn.cutler@islingtonpct.nhs.uk
Murphy
T
T
Gilmour
J
J
Heyman
I
I
D000293:Adolescent; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000150:complications; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000150:complications; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D020323:Tics / Q000523:psychology*; D005879:Tourette Syndrome / Q000523:psychology*