Clinical Correlates and Predictors of Caregiver Strain in Children With Chronic Tic Disorders

• Authors: Krishnapriya Ramanujam, University of Utah; Michael B. Himle, University of Utah; Loran P. Hayes, University of Utah; Douglas W. Woods, Texas A&M University; Lawrence Scahill, Emory University; Denis G. Sukhodolsky, Yale University; Sabine Wilhelm, Massachusetts General Hospital; Thilo Deckersbach, Massachusetts General Hospital; Alan L. Peterson, University of Texas; Matt Specht, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions; John T. Walkup, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions; Susanna Chang, University of California, Los Angeles; John Piacentini, University of California, Los Angeles
• Journal Title: Children's Health Care
• Volume: Volume 44, Number 3
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis | 2015-07-03, Pages 249-263
• Type of Work: Article | Post-print: After Peer Review
• Publisher DOI: http://doi.org/10.1080/02739615.2014.948166
• Subjects: Psychology, Clinical; Psychology, Experimental; Psychology, General
• Keywords: Science & Technology; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; Public, Environmental & Occupational Health; SCALE-PARENT VERSION; FUNCTIONAL IMPAIRMENT; ANXIETY DISORDERS; DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOR; INTERVIEW SCHEDULE; TOURETTES-SYNDROME; SEVERITY-SCALE; DSM-IV; IMPACT; VALIDITY; Tourette disorder; chronic tic disorder; caregiver strain; family functioning; externalizing; internalizing

Abstract

Although tics are the defining feature of chronic tic disorders (CTD), many children experience comorbid internalizing and externalizing problems that contribute to impairment across several domains, including family functioning. The current study examined clinical correlates and predictors of caregiver strain in parents of children with CTD. Participants were 123 children and adolescents diagnosed with a CTD who participated in a randomized-controlled trial of behavior therapy for reducing tics. Results showed that a combination of disruptive behavior, inattention/hyperactivity, and tic intensity best explained objective strain, and a combination of inattention/hyperactivity and tic intensity were the best predictors of subjective caregiver strain. Implications of these findings for care providers are discussed.