Self-concept and self-consciousness in adults with Tourette syndrome.

The hypothesis that adults with Tourette Syndrome (TS) have a lower level of self-concept and a higher level of public self-consciousness and social anxiety than the general population was examined. Ninety-eight suitable adults responded to a letter distributed to the members of the Tourette Syndrome Foundation of Canada. The findings indicated that the group with TS and high obsessive-compulsive symptoms, but not TS alone, had significantly lower self-concepts than the general population. Both males and females with TS and high obsessive-compulsive symptoms scored higher on social anxiety than the general population, but no differences in public self-consciousness were found. The results of this study argue that people with TS alone do not have impaired self-concepts or social anxiety, but both of these disorders tend to be present among those who suffer from both TS and significant obsessive-compulsive symptoms.