The number of teenage girls developing tics and an increase in Tourette’s syndrome as a result of rising lock-in anxiety
- Experts at Great Ormond Street and Evelina have reported an increase in references
- Before the onset of pandemic, six teenage girls showed symptoms each year
- Now experts say they are getting three or four new references every week
- Muscle movements or sounds are fast, repetitive muscle movements
- A new study shows that pandemic disease has had a mental health impact on young girls
Teenage girls are experiencing an ‘explosion of tics’ and Tourette’s Syndrome is triggered by anxiety and stress during a lockout, experts have warned.
Specialist clinics at Great Ormond Street and Evelina children ‘s hospitals in London report that more than six teenage girls in one year will not have ticks – but now there are three or four referrals a week, the Sunday Times reports appear.
This is in contrast to the 200 typical cases seen by the clinic in a year, 80 per cent of which were boys aged between seven and 12 years.
Specialist clinics have reported an increase in teenage girls suffering from ticks and Tourette’s Syndrome, which may be caused by stress and anxiety during the pandemic
Movements that occur suddenly and are difficult and difficult to control jolts or body sounds are fast, repetitive muscle movements.
A more isolated form, Tourette’s Syndrome, can involve shoulder movement and pressure, as well as vocal images, such as tongue clicks, animal sounds and more rarely, swearing.
An article published today in the journal Archives of Disease in Childhood suggests that the shift has occurred as a result of the pandemic and the impact of mental health on girls and young women.
Experts believe that closing schools and not seeing friends have a greater impact on girls
Professor Isobel Heyman, a psychologist on Great Ormond Street, said: ‘The dramatic change in the structure and habits of young people has created a real sensation.
‘Schools closing, not being able to see their friends, not being able to get involved in sport and activity – that has made an impact.’
Suzanne Dobson, chief executive of Tourettes Action, said the charity had seen an increase in calls to their helpline.
Some young women have turned to social media platforms for relaxation, but some psychologists believe this may be far from helping symptoms
‘Parents absolutely want to understand what happened to their child.’
Dobson believes that boys may have outgrown girls through the pandemic, communicating with friends almost through a game.
Teenagers have also been posting a movie of their symptoms on sites like TikTok as a way to reassure each other, although psychologists warn that this may be far from helping the their signals.
While this has been encouraging for many teenagers, creating a sense of identity and breaking down loneliness, it has also helped to extend symptoms.
The advice for parents is to try not to do too much. ”[The symptoms] they may go away again as soon as they arrive, ‘said Heyman.