title: The Role of Self-Competence in Health-Related Quality of Life and Behavioral Functioning of Children with Tourette Syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate self-competence, health-related quality of life (HRQOL), and emotional/behavioral functioning in children with Tourette syndrome (TS) compared to normative data and to examine self-competence as a potential protective factor against poorer HRQOL and emotional/behavioral outcomes in this population.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-nine children between the ages of 8 and 17 years and 72 caregivers participated in this study. Participants completed measures of children's HRQOL, emotional/behavioral functioning, and self-competence.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants reported significantly lower levels of emotional/behavioral functioning and HRQOL compared with norms of healthy children. No significant differences were found in domains of perceived self-competence. Social and general self-competence domains were significantly and positively correlated with most emotional and behavioral outcomes examined. Only social self-competence was significantly correlated with domains of HRQOL.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Self-competence, particularly in the social realm, may play a protective role against lower HRQOL and worse emotional and behavioral outcomes in children with TS. Children with this condition may benefit from self-competence-promoting interventions targeting children's perceptions of their own abilities.
authors.affiliation: *Department of Psychology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA; †Camp Twitch & Shout, Winder, GA.
authors.forename: Ana M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Gutierrez-Colina
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: LaMotte
authors.forename: Cyd
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Eaton
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kardon
authors.forename: Ronald L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Blount
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology; D011581:Psychological Tests; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012649:Self Concept; D020377:Self Efficacy; D066107:Social Skills; D005879:Tourette Syndrome / Q000523:psychology*