Tourette’s syndrome: challenging misconceptions and improving understanding
Intended for healthcare professionals
CPD    

Tourette’s syndrome: challenging misconceptions and improving understanding

Mark Freeman-Ferguson Lecturer, child health nursing, School of Health and Social Care, Edinburgh Napier University, Edinburgh, Scotland

Why you should read this article:
  • To increase your knowledge of Tourette’s syndrome and its effects on children and young people

  • To understand the nurse’s role in supporting children and young people with Tourette’s syndrome and their families

  • To contribute towards revalidation as part of your 35 hours of CPD (UK readers)

  • To contribute towards your professional development and local registration renewal requirements (non-UK readers)

Tourette’s syndrome affects about 1% of the school-age population. Children and young people with the condition exhibit involuntary motor and vocal (also known as phonic) tics. Only 10% of those with Tourette’s syndrome have coprolalia, which involves involuntary swearing and inappropriate language. Tourette’s syndrome often presents with other conditions such as obsessive-compulsive disorder, autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Those affected by Tourette’s syndrome may be able to manage the condition with little or no professional support, but some may need pharmacological and nonpharmacological input, particularly from mental health services. It is essential that peers, teachers, healthcare staff and members of the public are aware of Tourette’s syndrome to ensure that children and young people living with the condition are supported well.

Nursing Children and Young People. doi: 10.7748/ncyp.2022.e1416

Peer review

This article has been subject to open peer review and checked for plagiarism using automated software

@MarkFFAcademic

Correspondence

m.freeman-ferguson@napier.ac.uk

Conflict of interest

None declared

Freeman-Ferguson M (2022) Tourette’s syndrome: challenging misconceptions and improving understanding. Nursing Children and Young People. doi: 10.7748/ncyp.2022.e1416

Published online: 21 March 2022

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