A Qualitative Exploration of the Experiences of Children and Adolescents with Tourette Syndrome.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the experiences of youth with Tourette Syndrome (TS).


METHODS
Thirteen participants with TS were recruited from a large tertiary care hospital to complete semi-structured interviews and two questionnaires pertaining to demographic information and tic severity. Thematic analysis was utilized to systematically analyze the data.


RESULTS
Three main themes were identified: 1) beliefs about TS; 2) TS related distress and impairment; and, 3) coping with TS.


CONCLUSIONS
The findings from this study suggest that most participants were aware of their tics but unaware of the cause of tics/TS. The interviews also highlighted that, for most participants, TS caused emotional, social, physical, and/or occupational impairment. Despite their distress, participants provided several suggestions for coping with TS and for supporting those who are diagnosed with this condition.
McMaster Children's Hospital, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
Kim R
KR
Edwards
The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Sandra
S
Mendlowitz
McMaster Children's Hospital, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
Elana
E
Jackson
The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Claire
C
Champigny
Weill Cornell Medical College and New York-Presbyterian Hospital-Westchester, Youth Anxiety Center, New York, NY USA.
Matt
M
Specht
Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research & Education, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Paul
P
Arnold
The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Daniel
D
Gorman
University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Gina
G
Dimitropoulos
Tourette Syndrome; children and adolescents; coping; qualitative research