The psychiatry of Tourette syndrome

Tourette syndrome (TS) has been conceptualized as a psychological problem, a neurological problem, and more recently a neurobehavioral problem. Each conceptual model has had an impact on how persons with TS view themselves and how practitioners view individuals with TS, as well as an impact on what both clinicians and patients expect from diagnosis and treatment. This article reviews the common comorbid psychiatric disorders and their relationship to TS, and discusses how the evolving conceptions of TS have impacted psychologically on persons with tics and TS, as well as on the providers who treat them.