Psychiatric Comorbidity, Tic Severity and Quality of Life in Adults with Tourette's Syndrome

Psychiatric comorbidities are common in adults with Tourette's Syndrome (TS), and appear to influence both tic severity and quality of life (QOL).

To assess the association between psychiatric comorbidities, tic severity and QOL in TS.

We used data from 227 participants in the Calgary and Paris Adult Tic Disorders Clinical Registry. Our aim was to investigate how comorbid psychiatric symptoms impact tic severity, impairment, and QOL. We measured tic severity and impairment with the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (YGTSS), and QOL with the Gilles de la Tourette Quality of Life Scale (GTS-QOL). Psychiatric symptom severity was assessed using self-report questionnaires: Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ9) for depression, Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7 (GAD7), Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS), and Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory Revised (OCI-R).

Tic severity was higher in participants with ADHD, GAD, or depression, with significant correlations between psychiatric symptom scores and YGTSS scores. Linear regression showed that only the severity of depressive symptoms was significantly associated with tic severity and impairment. Both tic severity and psychiatric symptom severity scores correlated positively with the GTS-QOL Total Score and subscale scores. Depressive symptoms had the strongest correlation with GTS-QOL Total Score, followed by ADHD. Linear regression of GTS-QOL Total scores revealed significant relationships with all symptom severity variables.

Both tic severity and, notably, depression and ADHD, significantly impact QOL. These interactions are complex, underlining the critical need for multidisciplinary care for adults with TS.