title: The Influence of Environmental Consequences and Internalizing Symptoms on Children's Tic Severity.
abstract: Although there is evidence that environmental consequences for displaying tics and internalizing symptoms are related to tic severity in children with TS, less is known about the inter-relationships of these variables or how these factors jointly contribute to tic severity. This study included 45 children with Tourette syndrome. Caregivers reported on children's environmental consequences for displaying tics, internalizing symptoms, and tic severity. Results indicated that children with higher levels of internalizing symptoms experienced significantly more environmental consequences for displaying tics. Children with higher levels of separation anxiety symptoms demonstrated significantly greater tic severity. Environmental consequences for displaying tics accounted for significantly more variance in predicting tic severity than anxiety symptoms. This preliminary evidence suggests that environmental consequences for displaying tics, such as receiving accommodations or attention from others, have a greater influence on children's tic severity than emotional factors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Georgia, 125 Baldwin Street, Athens, GA, 30602, USA. cydeaton@uga.edu.
authors.forename: Cyd K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Eaton
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Georgia, 125 Baldwin Street, Athens, GA, 30602, USA.
authors.forename: Anna M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Georgia, 125 Baldwin Street, Athens, GA, 30602, USA.
authors.forename: Ana M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Gutierrez-Colina
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Georgia, 125 Baldwin Street, Athens, GA, 30602, USA.
authors.forename: Emily K
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Ivey
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Georgia, 125 Baldwin Street, Athens, GA, 30602, USA.
authors.forename: Olivia
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Carlson
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Georgia, 125 Baldwin Street, Athens, GA, 30602, USA.
authors.forename: Lauren
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Melville
authors.affiliation: Tourette Information Center and Support (TICS) of Georgia/Camp Twitch & Shout, Dunwoody, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kardon
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Georgia, 125 Baldwin Street, Athens, GA, 30602, USA.
authors.forename: Ronald L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Blount
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001010:Anxiety, Separation / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D003674:Defense Mechanisms; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012931:Social Environment; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D020323:Tics / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D005879:Tourette Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology
keywords: Environmental consequences; Internalizing symptoms; Tic severity; Tourette syndrome