Misophonia Awareness and Stress in Audiology Students

A new study of university students has found a significant link between the severity of misophonia symptoms and higher levels of perceived stress, reinforcing the condition’s complex psychological nature. The research, led by Rahmiye Nur Aktan, Ali Karaağaç, and Hilal Nur Saygılı, also reveals critical gaps in awareness even among students training in audiology and occupational therapy.

Measuring Misophonia and Stress in Future Clinicians

The research team recruited 196 adult students from occupational therapy and audiology departments. Participants completed three tools: a demographic form assessing their knowledge of misophonia, the Misophonia Questionnaire (MQ) to gauge symptom severity, and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) to measure their subjective stress levels over the previous month.

Statistical analysis confirmed the scales were reliable for this group. The internal consistency coefficients for the MQ subscales ranged from 0.752 to 0.829, and the PSS had a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.709, both considered acceptable. This gave the researchers confidence that the data accurately reflected the students’ experiences.

Stress and Departmental Knowledge Influence Symptom Scores

The results showed clear, statistically significant differences across all parameters when analyzed by stress status and field of study. A central finding was the direct relationship: as misophonia symptom severity increased, so did perceived stress levels.

Notably, occupational therapy students scored higher on both the MQ and PSS than their audiology peers. The authors suggest this could be because occupational therapy curricula often emphasize sensory processing and sensitivity, potentially making these students more aware of their own sensory reactions. This aligns with broader concepts in integrated auditory health, which considers the entire sensory processing pathway.

Demographic factors played a role. While age was not a significant factor, gender, department, and a reported family history of sound sensitivity produced distinct differences on some sub-scales. One of the most striking findings was that participants who were not receiving any form of psychological support registered significantly higher stress scores.

Why a Multidisciplinary Approach is Essential

The findings move the understanding of misophonia beyond a simple model of sound intolerance. The strong link with perceived stress positions misophonia as a condition deeply intertwined with emotional regulation, stress response systems, and adaptation to environmental stimuli. It is not merely about hearing but about the brain’s emotional and physiological reaction to specific auditory triggers.

This has direct practical implications. The high stress in those without psychological support points to an urgent need for awareness and accessible coping strategies. Management plans likely need to incorporate stress-reduction techniques and emotional regulation strategies alongside sound therapy. A successful approach may mirror the multifaceted methods explored for related conditions, such as the process-based treatment for misophonia or combined therapies used for tinnitus.

The authors conclude that their data supports existing literature indicating misophonia symptoms often establish themselves early in life and can become chronic in adulthood. This chronicity underscores the importance of early identification and intervention.

Building Awareness in Healthcare Training

A secondary but important outcome of this study is its focus on awareness among future healthcare providers. The fact that students in relevant fields demonstrated varying levels of knowledge and symptom severity suggests that misophonia education needs to be standardized and integrated into professional training programs. Increased clinician awareness is a necessary first step to improving diagnosis and support for the wider population, a need also highlighted in studies like the misophonia prevalence research from Mumbai.

Ultimately, the study by Aktan, Karaağaç, and Saygılı makes a strong case for a multidisciplinary framework. Effective treatment will require collaboration between audiologists, occupational therapists, and mental health professionals to address the auditory, sensory, and profound emotional components of misophonia.

Source: Aktan, R.N., Karaağaç, A. & Saygılı, H.N. The relationship between misophonia symptoms and perceived stress levels in university students. Egypt J Otolaryngol 40, 99 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s43163-026-01163-8