Misophonia and Stress in Healthcare Students

A study of 196 university students has found a clear link between the severity of misophonia symptoms and higher perceived stress levels. The research, led by Rahmiye Nur Aktan, Ali Karaağaç, and Hilal Nur Saygılı, also revealed that awareness of the condition varies significantly between students in different healthcare fields. Occupational therapy students scored higher on measures of both misophonia and stress compared to their peers in audiology.

Measuring Misophonia and Stress in Students

The researchers recruited students from occupational therapy and audiology programs. Each participant completed three forms: a demographic questionnaire assessing their awareness of misophonia, the Misophonia Questionnaire (MQ), and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). The MQ evaluates the emotional and behavioral reactions to triggering sounds, while the PSS measures how unpredictable, uncontrollable, and overloaded individuals find their lives.

The statistical analysis confirmed the scales were reliable tools for this group. The internal consistency of the MQ subscales ranged from 0.752 to 0.829, and the PSS had a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.709. These acceptable values gave the team confidence in their subsequent findings.

Stress and Sensory Awareness Influence Symptom Severity

The results showed statistically significant differences across all measured parameters. The most striking finding was the strong positive correlation between scores on the Misophonia Questionnaire and the Perceived Stress Scale. In simpler terms, students who experienced more severe misophonia symptoms also reported feeling more stressed in their daily lives.

“This study revealed a relationship between the severity of misophonia symptoms, perceived stress levels, and demographic factors, psychological support status, and sensory awareness in university students,” the authors write. They argue this supports the view of misophonia as a multidimensional condition. It interacts deeply with emotional regulation and stress response, rather than being a simple auditory sensitivity.

Why Occupational Therapy Students Scored Higher

A notable pattern emerged between the two academic departments. Occupational therapy students consistently reported higher scores on both the misophonia and stress scales. The researchers propose this may be linked to the nature of their training. Occupational therapy curricula often emphasize sensory processing and integration, potentially making these students more attuned to—and more distressed by—sensory disruptions like misophonic triggers.

“The reason why occupational therapy students scored higher on the MQ and PSS may be due to their heightened sensory sensitivity, stress levels or awareness,” the paper suggests. In contrast, audiology students, while experts in hearing mechanics, may have less formal education on the emotional and neurological aspects of sound intolerance disorders like misophonia.

The Critical Role of Psychological Support

Demographic analysis provided further insight. While age was not a significant factor, gender, department, and a family history of sound sensitivity produced distinct differences on some sub-scales. Perhaps the most practically important finding concerned psychological support.

Participants who reported they were not receiving any form of psychological support had significantly higher perceived stress scores. This points to a clear need. Increased awareness of misophonia among healthcare providers, coupled with accessible strategies for emotional regulation and stress management, could improve quality of life. This aligns with other research exploring cognitive reappraisal for misophonia treatment outcomes and transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation for misophonia relief, which target the nervous system’s stress response.

Implications for a Multidisciplinary Approach

The authors conclude that their findings reinforce existing literature indicating misophonia symptoms often begin early in life and can become chronic in adulthood. This persistence underscores the need for effective, long-term management strategies.

“These results emphasise the importance of considering not only the neurophysiological basis of misophonia, but also its psychosocial dimensions,” Aktan and colleagues state. They explicitly recommend a multidisciplinary approach to improve treatment outcomes. This could involve audiologists, occupational therapists, and mental health professionals working together to address the auditory, sensory, and emotional facets of the condition.

Understanding the brain’s role in these interactions is key. As explored in our article on brain imaging advances in hearing disorder research, the neurological pathways connecting sound, emotion, and stress are central to conditions like misophonia. This study adds weight to the argument that treating misophonia effectively requires looking beyond the ear.

Source: Aktan, R.N., Karaağaç, A. & Saygılı, H.N. Misophonia awareness, symptom severity, and perceived stress levels in university students. Egypt J Otolaryngol 40, 196 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s43163-026-01163-8