Mothers' Experiences of Aggression in Their Tourette's Syndrome Children

Abstract

Tourette's Syndrome (TS) is primarily a genetic disorder causing neurological abnormalities in the chemical balance of the brain which in turn causes secondary physical motor and vocal tics which could possibly lead to further psychological and social problems. Many co-morbid clinical phenomena can accompany TS, for example behavioural problems, including aggression. It however is not clear whether the expressions of aggression, like the tics, are involuntary or whether it can be controlled. Often the mother is the person who has to manage the child with TS and cope with the aggression. Very little research is being done specifically on the psychological and social implications of having TS, or on how to manage TS. Most research focuses on finding the genetic cause and eventually the cure for TS. It therefore seems necessary to explore and describe how the mothers experience and manage the aggression of their children who have TS. A qualitative, explorative, descriptive and contextual research design is used, because it is suited to the purpose of the study. The research question, “How do mothers of children with Tourette's Syndrome experience and manage the Touretter's aggression?” yielded data from which the following three themes emerged: the mothers' perceptions of their TS adolescent; the mothers' experiences as parent; and the concerns expressed by the mothers. Guidelines and strategies in the form of recommendations are made to assist mothers in managing the aggression of their children with Tourette's Syndrome.