Session-by-session change in misophonia: a descriptive case study using intensive CBT.

Abstract

There is preliminary evidence that CBT may be helpful for improving symptoms of misophonia, but the key mechanisms of change are not yet known for this disorder of decreased tolerance to everyday sounds. This detailed case study aimed to describe the delivery of intensive, formulation-driven CBT for an individual with misophonia and report on session-by-session outcomes using a multidimensional measurement tool (S-Five). The patient was offered twelve hours of treatment over five sessions, using transdiagnostic and misophonia-specific interventions. Reliable and clinically significant change was found from baseline to one-month follow up. Visual inspection of outcome graphs indicated that change occurred on the "outbursts" and "internalising appraisals" S-Five subscales following assessment, and on the "emotional threat" subscale after first treatment session. The other two subscales started and remained below a clinically significant level. The biggest symptom change appeared to have occurred after second session, which included interventions engaging with trigger sounds. The results demonstrated the individualised nature of misophonia, supporting the use of individually tailored treatment for misophonia and highlighting the importance of using a multidimensional measurement tool.