Therapist-guided, mobile app-assisted behavioural treatment for children and adolescents with chronic tic disorders : a pilot randomised controlled trial
(2025) In European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry- Abstract
To evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of a therapist-guided, mobile app-assisted behavioural treatment for children and adolescents with chronic tic disorders, compared to videoconference-delivered behaviour therapy for tics. Pilot, single-blind, two-arm randomised controlled trial (RCT). A specialist tic disorder clinic for children and adolescents in Denmark. 30 participants with Tourette syndrome or chronic tic disorder aged 9 to 17 years (inclusive) and their parents. Participants were randomised to 8 sessions of either mobile app-assisted behavioural therapy (n = 14) or videoconference-delivered behaviour therapy (n = 16) for tics. The primary outcomes were measures of feasibility, acceptability, adherence and safety.... (More)
To evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of a therapist-guided, mobile app-assisted behavioural treatment for children and adolescents with chronic tic disorders, compared to videoconference-delivered behaviour therapy for tics. Pilot, single-blind, two-arm randomised controlled trial (RCT). A specialist tic disorder clinic for children and adolescents in Denmark. 30 participants with Tourette syndrome or chronic tic disorder aged 9 to 17 years (inclusive) and their parents. Participants were randomised to 8 sessions of either mobile app-assisted behavioural therapy (n = 14) or videoconference-delivered behaviour therapy (n = 16) for tics. The primary outcomes were measures of feasibility, acceptability, adherence and safety. Secondary measures of tic severity (Yale Global Tic Severity Scale; YGTSS) were administered at baseline, post-treatment and 2-month follow-up. Both interventions were deemed feasible and acceptable by the families. Both groups experienced meaningful tic severity reductions on the Total Tic Severity Score of the YGTSS (app group: -9.25 (-13.10 to -5.41; Cohen d = 1.17); videoconference group: -7.43 (-10.93 to -3.93; Cohen d = 0.94). Participants in both groups experienced further tic severity improvements during the 2-month follow-up (app group: -5.75 (-9.16 to − 2.34; Cohen d = 0.96); videoconference group: -5.00 (-8.16 to -1.84; Cohen d = 0.64). A therapist-guided mobile app-assisted behavioural intervention was found to be acceptable and potentially efficacious in the treatment of tics in a naturalistic clinical setting. The findings are promising but preliminary, given the limited sample size. The efficacy should be evaluated in a larger RCT.
(Less)
- author
- Jöhnk, Maria Louise ; Mataix-Cols, David LU ; Thomsen, Per Hove ; Jensen, Claus Sixtus ; Carlsen, Anders Helles and Nissen, Judith Becker
- organization
- publishing date
- 2025
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- epub
- subject
- keywords
- Behavioral therapy, Digital interventions, MHealth, Smartphone apps, Tic disorder, Tourette syndrome
- in
- European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
- publisher
- Springer
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:105022654980
- pmid:41263953
- ISSN
- 1018-8827
- DOI
- 10.1007/s00787-025-02925-0
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 9c813887-7d06-44d3-9c7c-89eb4192850d
- date added to LUP
- 2026-02-09 14:40:19
- date last changed
- 2026-02-09 14:41:00
@article{9c813887-7d06-44d3-9c7c-89eb4192850d,
abstract = {{<p>To evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of a therapist-guided, mobile app-assisted behavioural treatment for children and adolescents with chronic tic disorders, compared to videoconference-delivered behaviour therapy for tics. Pilot, single-blind, two-arm randomised controlled trial (RCT). A specialist tic disorder clinic for children and adolescents in Denmark. 30 participants with Tourette syndrome or chronic tic disorder aged 9 to 17 years (inclusive) and their parents. Participants were randomised to 8 sessions of either mobile app-assisted behavioural therapy (n = 14) or videoconference-delivered behaviour therapy (n = 16) for tics. The primary outcomes were measures of feasibility, acceptability, adherence and safety. Secondary measures of tic severity (Yale Global Tic Severity Scale; YGTSS) were administered at baseline, post-treatment and 2-month follow-up. Both interventions were deemed feasible and acceptable by the families. Both groups experienced meaningful tic severity reductions on the Total Tic Severity Score of the YGTSS (app group: -9.25 (-13.10 to -5.41; Cohen d = 1.17); videoconference group: -7.43 (-10.93 to -3.93; Cohen d = 0.94). Participants in both groups experienced further tic severity improvements during the 2-month follow-up (app group: -5.75 (-9.16 to − 2.34; Cohen d = 0.96); videoconference group: -5.00 (-8.16 to -1.84; Cohen d = 0.64). A therapist-guided mobile app-assisted behavioural intervention was found to be acceptable and potentially efficacious in the treatment of tics in a naturalistic clinical setting. The findings are promising but preliminary, given the limited sample size. The efficacy should be evaluated in a larger RCT.</p>}},
author = {{Jöhnk, Maria Louise and Mataix-Cols, David and Thomsen, Per Hove and Jensen, Claus Sixtus and Carlsen, Anders Helles and Nissen, Judith Becker}},
issn = {{1018-8827}},
keywords = {{Behavioral therapy; Digital interventions; MHealth; Smartphone apps; Tic disorder; Tourette syndrome}},
language = {{eng}},
publisher = {{Springer}},
series = {{European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry}},
title = {{Therapist-guided, mobile app-assisted behavioural treatment for children and adolescents with chronic tic disorders : a pilot randomised controlled trial}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00787-025-02925-0}},
doi = {{10.1007/s00787-025-02925-0}},
year = {{2025}},
}