Psychosocial and Audiological Characteristics in Misophonia: An Interdisciplinary Comparison Study of Adults with Misophonia to Healthy Controls.

Abstract

Despite the increasing investigation into misophonia, its classification remains debated due to symptom overlap with audiological and psychological conditions, as well as methodological limitations in existing studies. In the present study, we compared a clinical sample of adults seeking treatment for misophonia with a non-treatment-seeking sample of age- and gender-matched healthy controls. In these two samples, we examined the psychological and audiological features of misophonia by assessing key psychological processes (anger, disgust, OCD symptoms, anxiety, depression, stress, well-being, and psychological inflexibility) and audiological features (hearing, hyperacusis, and tinnitus). We found that individuals with misophonia exhibit higher levels of psychological inflexibility and stress compared to healthy controls. Audiological comparisons indicated that hyperacusis is more prevalent in the misophonia group, with significantly more impairment in social and occupational functioning. There were no differences between groups on an objective assessment of hearing, although self-report measures indicated that individuals with misophonia may have greater difficulty with auditory processing. These findings suggest that misophonia is a complex disorder marked by transdiagnostic psychological characteristics and sound sensitivities. Our results underscore the need for interdisciplinary assessment and treatment approaches that incorporate psychosocial and audiological perspectives.