Treatment Use Among Children with Tourette Syndrome Living in The United States, 2014

Authors

Sara Beth Wolicki, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Rebecca H. Bitsko, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Joseph R. Holbrook, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Melissa L. Danielson, Centers for Disease Control and PreventionFollow
Benjamin Zablotsky, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Lawrence Scahill, Emory University
John T. Walkup, Northwestern UniversityFollow
Douglas W. Woods, Marquette UniversityFollow
Jonathan W. Mink, University of Rochester Medical Center

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

11-2020

Publisher

Elsevier

Source Publication

Psychiatry Research

Source ISSN

0165-1781

Abstract

Treatment of Tourette syndrome (TS) can be complicated by changes over time in tic expression, severity, and co-occurring disorders. Using the 2014 National Survey of the Diagnosis and Treatment of ADHD and Tourette Syndrome, this study provides descriptive estimates of the use of behavioral interventions and medication among children living with TS. Parent-reported data on 115 children aged 5–17 years ever diagnosed with TS were analyzed to provide descriptive, unweighted results. Overall, 77.4% of children had current or past use of any TS treatment; 59.1% ever used behavioral interventions and 56.1% had ever taken TS medication. Children with "moderate” or “severe” versus “mild” TS, ≥1 co-occurring disorders, and tics that interfered with functioning were significantly more likely to have used one or more TS treatments. Side effects were reported for 84.4% of children who took TS medication. Most parents of children with current TS (87.2%) were satisfied with the management of their child's TS. However, parents of children with “moderate” or “severe” current TS were significantly more dissatisfied compared to parents of children with “mild” TS. Findings from this study could be used to inform efforts to support children living with TS and their families.

Comments

Accepted version. Psychiatry Research, Vol. 293 (November 2020): 113400. DOI. © 2020 Elsevier. Used with permission.

Recommended Citation

Wolicki, Sara Beth; Bitsko, Rebecca H.; Holbrook, Joseph R.; Danielson, Melissa L.; Zablotsky, Benjamin; Scahill, Lawrence; Walkup, John T.; Woods, Douglas W.; and Mink, Jonathan W., "Treatment Use Among Children with Tourette Syndrome Living in The United States, 2014" (2020). Psychology Faculty Research and Publications. 504.
https://epublications.marquette.edu/psych_fac/504