Investigating young people’s experiences of successful or helpful psychological interventions for tic disorders: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis study

There is emerging evidence for talking therapies in the treatment of tic disorders. This study explored experiences of young people who self-identified as having had a successful or helpful talking therapy, in order to understand the phenomenology, value and meaning of outcomes. The experiences of seven participants aged 10–17 years were described in semi-structured interviews and analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Themes included the challenging battle with tics and process of re-defining self-identity, making sense of and managing experiences, the value of control, and spectrum of positive change. The results highlighted valued outcomes that could be incorporated into clinical practice and future evaluation.