Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic paediatricians and child mental health practitioners have recorded a stark increase in the prevalence of tic disorders among children and teenagers.
Some of those who were already diagnosed with a tic disorder, such as Tourette’s syndrome, noticed an increase in tic symptoms during lockdown, but a mystery which has gripped doctors is the marked increase in sudden onset tics in children who hadn’t previously experienced them – particularly in teenage girls.
In a new Channel 4 documentary, Britain’s Tourette’s Mystery: Scarlett Moffatt Investigates, the former Gogglebox star travels around the country to delve into the mystery, meeting some of those who have been recently diagnosed with the condition, scientists grappling with the new phenomenon, and a group of Tourette’s TikTok influencers.
