TY - JOUR
T1 - Tackle your Tics: pilot findings of a brief, intensive group-based exposure therapy program for children with tic disorders
AU - Heijerman-Holtgrefe, A. P.
AU - Verdellen, C. W. J.
AU - van de Griendt, J. M. T. M.
AU - Beljaars, L. P. L.
AU - Kan, K. J.
AU - Cath, D.
AU - Hoekstra, P. J.
AU - Huyser, C.
AU - Utens, E. M. W. J.
N1 - Funding Information: This work was supported by Tourettes Action (Grant number 1003317) in the UK. All participating centers contributed financially by the hours of investment of the project members and further costs. Acknowledgements Publisher Copyright: © 2020, The Author(s).
PY - 2021/3
Y1 - 2021/3
N2 - Tourette syndrome (TS) and other chronic tic disorders (CTD) are prevalent neurodevelopmental disorders, which can have a huge burden on families and society. Behavioral treatment is a first-line intervention for tic disorders. Despite demonstrated efficacy, tic reduction and utilization rates of behavioral treatment remain relatively low. Patient associations point to an urgent need for easy-to-undergo treatments that focus both on tic reduction and improvement of quality of life. To enhance treatment outcome and overcome treatment barriers, this pilot study’s aim was to investigate the feasibility and preliminary results of a brief, intensive group-based treatment. Tackle your Tics is a 4-day intensive and comprehensive group-based program for children and adolescents (9–17 years) with a tic disorder, consisting of exposure and response prevention (ERP) treatment and additional supporting components, such as coping strategies, relaxing activities and parent support. Assessments were performed pre- and post-treatment and at 2 months follow-up, to test outcomes on tic severity and quality of life, and explore premonitory urges, emotional and behavioral functioning and treatment satisfaction (N = 14, of whom 13 completed the treatment). Parents and children rated this treatment positive on a treatment satisfaction questionnaire. On tic severity (Yale Global Tic Severity Scale) and quality of life (Gilles de la Tourette Syndrome Quality of Life Scale for children and adolescents), improvements between pre-treatment and follow-up were found. Intensive ERP in group format is promising as a feasible treatment to improve both tic severity as well as quality of life. Larger controlled trials are needed to establish its effectiveness.
AB - Tourette syndrome (TS) and other chronic tic disorders (CTD) are prevalent neurodevelopmental disorders, which can have a huge burden on families and society. Behavioral treatment is a first-line intervention for tic disorders. Despite demonstrated efficacy, tic reduction and utilization rates of behavioral treatment remain relatively low. Patient associations point to an urgent need for easy-to-undergo treatments that focus both on tic reduction and improvement of quality of life. To enhance treatment outcome and overcome treatment barriers, this pilot study’s aim was to investigate the feasibility and preliminary results of a brief, intensive group-based treatment. Tackle your Tics is a 4-day intensive and comprehensive group-based program for children and adolescents (9–17 years) with a tic disorder, consisting of exposure and response prevention (ERP) treatment and additional supporting components, such as coping strategies, relaxing activities and parent support. Assessments were performed pre- and post-treatment and at 2 months follow-up, to test outcomes on tic severity and quality of life, and explore premonitory urges, emotional and behavioral functioning and treatment satisfaction (N = 14, of whom 13 completed the treatment). Parents and children rated this treatment positive on a treatment satisfaction questionnaire. On tic severity (Yale Global Tic Severity Scale) and quality of life (Gilles de la Tourette Syndrome Quality of Life Scale for children and adolescents), improvements between pre-treatment and follow-up were found. Intensive ERP in group format is promising as a feasible treatment to improve both tic severity as well as quality of life. Larger controlled trials are needed to establish its effectiveness.
KW - Chronic tic disorder
KW - Exposure and response prevention
KW - Intensive behavioral treatment
KW - Quality of life
KW - Tourette syndrome
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85085315748&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-020-01532-5
DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-020-01532-5
M3 - Article
C2 - 32436035
SN - 1018-8827
VL - 30
SP - 461
EP - 473
JO - European child & adolescent psychiatry
JF - European child & adolescent psychiatry
IS - 3
ER -