Exploring Social Support in an Online Support Community for Tourette Syndrome and Tic Disorders: An Analysis of Postings (Preprint)

The diagnostic and therapeutic journey of Tourette syndrome: Thematic analysis of the difficulties experienced by parents of patients

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this thematic analysis is to formalize the parental trajectories of therapeutic wandering, from first symptoms to the diagnosis until disease management.

METHODS

An inductive and deductive thematic analysis was carried out based on 25 interviews with parents of children with TS. Statistical and association tests were also conducted.

RESULTS

From the interviews with parents, 284 codes were categorized into 19 inductive subthemes, which were then grouped into 5 deductive themes. Some of the subthemes were relevant to all interviewees, and ranged from the description of the disease characteristics, parental distress, the impact of the TS diagnosis, and the evaluation of the diagnostic journey.

CONCLUSION

Our study sheds light on how the parents of children with TS experience the diagnostic and therapeutic journey. By highlighting recurrent themes experienced by families, we hope that the results will be beneficial to both parents and children with TS in avoiding future diagnostic and therapeutic delay.

Reframing stigma in Tourette syndrome: an updated scoping review

Persistent tic disorders (PTD) such as Tourette's syndrome (TS) are common childhood-onset neurodevelopmental disorders. Stigmatization of individuals with these disorders remains an ongoing problem. The purpose of this scoping review is to serve as an updated review of the research regarding stigmatization in youth with PTD since the publication of the original systematic review about this topic in 2016. The electronic databases Embase, Web of Science, PubMed, PsycINFO, and CINAHL were searched. Of the 4751 initial articles screened after removing duplications, 47 studies met the inclusion criteria. The studies were examined under the social-ecological stigmatization model, which helps categorize stigmatization into individual, interpersonal, community, and structural levels and serves as a broader definition of stigmatization than the previous systematic review. On the individual level, youth with PTD had lower self-esteem than peers, often leading to fear of future stigmatization, avoidant behaviors, and self-stigmatization. They also experienced higher rates of bullying and other forms of abuse than peers at the interpersonal level. At the community level, youth with PTD faced discriminatory environments in school and work and limited availability of community services and healthcare access. At the structural level, knowledge about PTD was limited in the general population, often about the limited portrayals of PTD in the media. We hope that the broader scope of this review serves to help inform future efforts to decrease the stigmatization faced by this group.

The Association Between Linguistic Characteristics of Physicians' Communication and Their Economic Returns: Mixed Method Study

BACKGROUND

Web-based health care has the potential to improve health care access and convenience for patients with limited mobility, but its success depends on active physician participation. The economic returns of internet-based health care initiatives are an important factor that can motivate physicians to continue their participation. Although several studies have examined the communication patterns and influences of web-based health consultations, the correlation between physicians' communication characteristics and their economic returns remains unexplored.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to investigate how the linguistic features of 2 modes of physician-patient communication, instrumental and affective, determine the physician's economic returns, measured by the honorarium their patients agree to pay per consultation. We also examined the moderating effects of communication media (web-based text messages and voice messages) and the compounding effects of different communication features on economic returns.

METHODS

We collected 40,563 web-based consultations from 528 physicians across 4 disease specialties on a large, web-based health care platform in China. Communication features were extracted using linguistic inquiry and word count, and we used multivariable linear regression and K-means clustering to analyze the data.

RESULTS

We found that the use of cognitive processing language (ie, words related to insight, causation, tentativeness, and certainty) in instrumental communication and positive emotion-related words in affective communication were positively associated with the economic returns of physicians. However, the extensive use of discrepancy-related words could generate adverse effects. We also found that the use of voice messages for service delivery magnified the effects of cognitive processing language but did not moderate the effects of affective processing language. The highest economic returns were associated with consultations in which the physicians used few expressions related to negative emotion; used more terms associated with positive emotions; and later, used instrumental communication language.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study provides empirical evidence about the relationship between physicians' communication characteristics and their economic returns. It contributes to a better understanding of patient-physician interactions from a professional-client perspective and has practical implications for physicians and web-based health care platform executives.

Tourette syndrome research highlights from 2022

This is the ninth yearly article in the Tourette Syndrome Research Highlights series, summarizing selected research reports from 2022 relevant to Tourette syndrome. The authors briefly summarize reports they consider most important or interesting.

Tourette syndrome research highlights from 2022

This is the ninth yearly article in the Tourette Syndrome Research Highlights series, summarizing selected research reports from 2022 relevant to Tourette syndrome. The authors briefly summarize reports they consider most important or interesting.

The psychological impact of the secondary school transition on families of autistic children

The transition from primary to secondary school is a stressful period for autistic individuals. However, less is known about parental experiences of the school transition, and its impact on the family. This study explored mothers' perspectives on the psychological impact of the transition to secondary school for their autistic children and their families. Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, semi-structured interviews were analysed to explore the experiences of eight mothers of autistic children at the end of their child's first year in secondary school. The analysis revealed two superordinate themes: lack of available support and detrimental psychological impact on the family. Mothers reported the negative impact the transition had on themselves, their child, and the wider family. The importance of pre- and ongoing transition support was highlighted to reduce the concerns of children and their parents throughout the transition process. The findings highlighted the need for autism-specific individualized guidance, as well as considering the potential for transition issues to impact on siblings.

How People with Physical Disabilities Can Obtain Social Support through Online Videos: A Qualitative Study in China

BACKGROUND

Online video creation is becoming an option for many people with physical disabilities in China. However, few studies have considered how physically disabled individuals access social support through online video creation.

METHODS

For this qualitative study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 online video creators with physical disabilities. The starting point of this study was video creation by people with physical disabilities, with a focus on the social interactions between creators, online video platforms, followers, viewers and sponsors, as well as the perceived social support in the process.

RESULTS

Thematic analysis was used to identify six social support themes: (i) meeting emotional needs; (ii) obtaining informational support; (iii) obtaining creative benefits; (iv) constructing identity; (v) reconstructing social relationships; and (vi) discovering self-worth. Four risk-related themes were identified: (i) online language violence; (ii) invasion of commercial capital; (iii) online video addiction; and (iv) fragile social support.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings indicate that, although people with physical disabilities can obtain effective social support through creating online videos, it is accompanied by many risks. In addition, the social support gained through creating online videos differs from traditional online social support (e.g., changes in online support groups, emphasis on creative gain).

PROSPECT

Future research should perform more detailed analyses of different types of social support and specific risks of creation, while taking into account individual differences and sociodemographic backgrounds.