The Differential Impact of Tourette's Syndrome and Comorbid Diagnosis on the Quality of Life and Functioning of Diagnosed Children and Adolescents.

Problem: Tourette's syndrome (TS) is a neuropsychiatric disorder associated with adverse outcomes. High rates of comorbidity (80-90%) complicate presentation, yet the relationship among TS, common comorbid diagnoses, and adversity is not well understood. This research investigated the impact of comorbidity, and the discrete effects of common comorbid diagnoses, on quality of life (QoL) and functioning of youth with TS.

The Impact of Tic Severity, Comorbidity and Peer Attachment on Quality of Life Outcomes and Functioning in Tourette's Syndrome: Parental Perspectives.

The aim of this controlled, community-based study based on data from parents of youth (aged 7-16 years) with Tourette's syndrome (TS; n = 86) and parents of age and gender matched peers (n = 108) was to test several hypotheses involving a range of variables salient to the TS population, including peer attachment, quality of life, severity of tics, comorbidity, and psychological, behavioural and social dysfunction. Multivariate between-group analyses confirmed that TS group youth experienced lower quality of life, increased emotional, behavioural and social difficulties, and elevated rates of insecure peer attachment relative to controls, as reported by their primary caregiver. Results also confirmed the main hypothesis that security of peer attachment would be associated with individual variability in outcomes for youth with TS.

Factors impacting the quality of peer relationships of youth with Tourette's syndrome.

Background: Tourette's syndrome (TS) is a poorly understood neurodevelopmental disorder consistently associated with impaired peer relationships. This research aimed to investigate the relationship between TS and the ability of diagnosed youth to form secure attachment relationships with peers. A quantitative study examined differences between youth with TS and typically developing peers in social functioning, relationship problems and attachment security.