Misophonia Awareness and Stress in Healthcare Students

A new study of university students has identified a clear connection between the severity of misophonia symptoms and the daily stress a person feels. Researchers Rahmiye Nur Aktan, Ali Karaağaç, and Hilal Nur Saygılı found that as misophonia symptoms worsened, perceived stress levels increased significantly. Their work, published in *Egyptian Journal of Otolaryngology*, also revealed surprising differences between students training in different health professions.

How the Study Measured Misophonia and Stress

The research team surveyed 196 adult university students, split between occupational therapy and audiology programs. Each participant completed three forms. The first collected demographic data and assessed their existing knowledge of misophonia. The second was the Misophonia Questionnaire (MQ), which measures the severity of symptoms and their impact on life. The third was the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), a standard tool for gauging how overloaded or uncontrollable a person finds their life.

The researchers confirmed the internal consistency of their data, meaning the survey tools reliably measured what they were intended to measure. This gave them confidence to analyze the relationships between the students’ misophonia symptoms, their stress levels, and their field of study.

Higher Stress and Symptoms in Occupational Therapy Students

One of the most notable findings was a difference between the two student groups. Occupational therapy students scored higher on both the Misophonia Questionnaire and the Perceived Stress Scale compared to audiology students.

The authors suggest this may be due to the nature of occupational therapy training, which emphasizes sensory processing and awareness. “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,” they wrote. In other words, their education might make them more attuned to internal and external sensory experiences, including distressing sounds. This finding adds weight to the idea that how we perceive and process soundscapes is deeply connected to broader sensory health.

The Critical Role of Psychological Support

The analysis went beyond just field of study. Demographic factors like gender and family history showed distinct differences on some sub-scales. However, the status of psychological support stood out as particularly significant.

Students who reported they were not receiving any form of psychological support had markedly higher stress scores. This points to a major practical implication: individuals struggling with misophonia-related distress may benefit greatly from access to mental health resources. The emotional reactions in misophonia—anger, anxiety, irritation—are not just byproducts; they are central to the condition’s burden. Learning to manage these reactions is a core component of managing misophonia in adolescents and young adults.

Misophonia as a Multidimensional Condition

The study’s conclusions move the understanding of misophonia forward. The authors state that their “findings suggest that misophonia is a multidimensional condition interacting with emotional regulation, stress response and adaptation to environmental stimuli, rather than merely an auditory sensitivity.”

This means effective approaches must look beyond the ear. The condition is entangled with how a person regulates emotions, handles stress, and copes with their environment. The findings “emphasise the importance of considering not only the neurophysiological basis of misophonia, but also its psychosocial dimensions.” A person with misophonia might benefit from a combination of sound therapy, counseling to improve emotional regulation, and stress-reduction techniques. This multidisciplinary view aligns with approaches for related conditions, where addressing physical, neurological, and emotional factors together often yields the best results.

Implications for Treatment and Awareness

The study reinforces that misophonia symptoms often start young and can become chronic, making early recognition and intervention important. For healthcare providers, particularly those in audiology and occupational therapy, the research underscores the need to screen for misophonia and assess a patient’s overall stress and mental well-being. It also highlights a gap in awareness, even among students in relevant fields, which educational programs could address.

Ultimately, recognizing misophonia as a stress-exacerbated, multidimensional disorder opens the door to more compassionate and comprehensive care strategies, combining auditory, psychological, and sensory-based therapies.

Source: Aktan, R.N., Karaağaç, A. & Saygılı, H.N. Misophonia awareness, symptom severity, and perceived stress levels in occupational therapy and audiology students. Egyptian Journal of Otolaryngology 40, 195 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s43163-026-01163-8