Misophonia Prevalence in Mumbai Tertiary Hospital Study

A validated tool for diagnosing misophonia now exists for the 83 million Marathi speakers in India. A new study has successfully translated and tested the Amsterdam Misophonia Questionnaire (A-MISO-S) in Marathi, finding that 11% of the study participants exhibited moderate to severe symptoms of the sound sensitivity disorder. The research, led by Suman Chalotra, Nirali Chauhan, and Deepa Valame, provides a critical first step in understanding misophonia in a region with limited epidemiological data.

Building a Bridge for Diagnosis in Marathi

Misophonia is defined by intense emotional and physiological reactions—like anger, anxiety, or disgust—to specific, often repetitive sounds such as chewing, breathing, or pen clicking. While awareness has grown in Western countries, diagnostic tools in many Indian languages are scarce. This creates a barrier for millions who may struggle with the condition without a name or path to management.

The research team aimed to close this gap by translating the established A-MISO-S questionnaire. They followed a rigorous translation protocol from the American Association of Orthopedic Surgeons. The process involved independent forward and backward translations by bilingual experts, followed by a review from audiologists to ensure the questions made sense culturally and clinically for a Marathi-speaking population.

Method: Testing the New Tool’s Reliability

The researchers administered the translated questionnaire through face-to-face interviews with 227 adults. They excluded individuals with known hearing loss or psychological conditions to focus specifically on misophonic reactions. To check the tool’s consistency, 30 randomly selected participants who were fluent in both English and Marathi completed the questionnaire in both languages, two weeks apart.

Statistical analysis focused on three main areas: the questionnaire’s internal consistency (do all the questions reliably measure the same thing?), its test-retest reliability (do people score similarly when they take it twice?), and its internal structure. The team also analyzed the prevalence of symptoms and looked for links with demographic factors like age and gender.

Findings: A Valid Tool and a Significant Gender Link

The results confirmed the Marathi A-MISO-S as a robust diagnostic instrument. It showed good internal consistency with a Cronbach’s alpha score of 0.82. The test-retest scores were also strong, meaning the tool produced stable results over time. This statistical validation means clinicians can use it with confidence.

Applying the tool revealed that 11% of participants had moderate to severe misophonia. This prevalence highlights that the condition is not rare, even in this understudied population.

A notable finding was a significant gender association. Females in the study were more likely to report misophonic symptoms than males. The statistical significance (p = 0.03) indicates this difference is unlikely to be due to chance. The study found no significant link between misophonia and age. These findings align with some global studies but emphasize the need to understand the complex relationship between gender, social factors, and sound sensitivity.

Implications: From Awareness to Treatment Pathways

The immediate practical outcome is that audiologists and mental health professionals in Maharashtra and other Marathi-speaking regions now have a validated, culturally adapted tool for assessment. This can lead to faster, more accurate diagnoses, moving patients from confusion to a clear understanding of their condition.

On a broader scale, the 11% prevalence figure is a call for greater awareness in India’s healthcare and public spheres. It suggests a substantial number of people may be dealing with significant distress that impacts social, academic, or professional life. The gender finding also prompts questions for future research. Is this difference rooted in neurophysiology, in social conditioning regarding emotional expression, or in reporting bias?

The availability of a reliable tool enables larger epidemiological studies. Researchers can now investigate how misophonia interacts with other common conditions. For instance, the strong emotional component suggests potential overlaps with anxiety-related disorders. Understanding these links is vital, as it can guide treatment. The study authors explicitly state that their work highlights “the need for increased awareness and treatment options.”

Effective management for misophonia often involves sound-based therapy and counseling. The validated questionnaire can help therapists track a patient’s progress. Furthermore, as research explores neural mechanisms of sound sensitivity—like the brain’s auditory processing and emotional response networks—tools like the Marathi A-MISO-S will be essential for identifying suitable participants for clinical trials. Insights from related fields, such as work on the mechanisms of sound-induced pain in hyperacusis or noninvasive brain stimulation to modulate neural pathways, may one day inform new approaches for misophonia.

A Foundation for Future Research

This study by Chalotra, Chauhan, and Valame does more than provide a translation. It builds a foundation. By creating a validated Marathi version of the A-MISO-S, they have enabled proper diagnosis, opened the door for population-level research, and brought global attention to misophonia in India. The finding that over one in ten people in their sample had significant symptoms is a powerful starting point for building awareness, developing support systems, and ultimately improving quality of life for those affected.

Source: Chalotra, S., Chauhan, N. & Valame, D. Translation and validation of Amsterdam Misophonia Questionnaire (A-MISO-S) in Marathi language. Egypt J Otolaryngol 40, 76 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s43163-026-01108-1