J Korean Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry.
2019 Jul;30(3):109-115. 10.5765/jkacap.190007.
Beliefs about Tic Disorders and Tourette's Syndrome in South Korea: An Online Panel Survey
- Affiliations
-
- 1Clinical Research Center, Mental Health Research Institute, National Center for Mental Health, Seoul, Korea. subin-21@hanmail.net
- KMID: 2452880
- DOI: http://doi.org/10.5765/jkacap.190007
Abstract
OBJECTIVES
This study investigates lay beliefs about the etiology and treatments of tic disorder and Tourette's syndrome, as well as identifying sociodemographic and personality variables affecting these beliefs among South Koreans.
METHODS
In total, 673 participants (mean age 41.77±12.03 years) completed an online survey regarding their beliefs about tic disorder and Tourette's syndrome. The factors related to their lay beliefs about the disorders were analyzed, and the correlates were investigated.
RESULTS
Results indicated that lay people in South Korea held strong beliefs that the causes of tic disorder and Tourette's syndrome lie within the parenting/psychological and neurological/biological categories, compared to the dietary/environmental one. Among the sociodemographic variables, sex, age, and levels of subjective mental health knowledge were primarily associated with the aforementioned beliefs. Familiarity with tic disorder and Tourette's syndrome was also associated with these beliefs. Among the personality traits investigated, extraversion and conscientiousness had significant influences on the beliefs people had about tic disorder and Tourette's syndrome.
CONCLUSION
The results suggest that both policy makers and mental health service providers should adopt a strategic approach for developing and implementing health education interventions about tic disorder and Tourette's syndrome because individual sociodemographic variables, familiarity with the disorders, and personality traits are all associated with the beliefs about these disorders.
