Misophonia, Stress in Audiology and OT Students

A study of 196 university students has directly linked the severity of misophonia symptoms to higher levels of perceived stress. The research also found that students in occupational therapy programs, who are trained to understand sensory processing, reported significantly higher scores for both misophonia and stress than their peers in audiology.

How Researchers Measured Misophonia and Stress

To establish the link between sound intolerance and stress, researchers Rahmiye Nur Aktan, Ali Karaağaç, and Hilal Nur Saygılı recruited 196 adult university students from occupational therapy and audiology programs. Each participant completed three key instruments: a demographic form assessing their prior knowledge of misophonia, the Misophonia Questionnaire (MQ) to gauge symptom severity, and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS).

The team confirmed the tools 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 scores accurately reflected the students’ experiences.

Stress and Sensory Awareness Are Key Differentiators

The analysis revealed clear, statistically significant differences across all measured parameters. The central finding was a direct relationship: as scores on the Misophonia Questionnaire increased, so did scores on the Perceived Stress Scale. This wasn’t a minor link; it was a consistent pattern highlighting the emotional burden of the condition.

A surprising result was the difference between student groups. Occupational therapy students scored higher on both the MQ and PSS than audiology students. The authors propose this may be because occupational therapy curricula emphasize sensory processing and sensitivity, potentially making these students more aware of their own reactions. Their training might not only increase recognition of symptoms but also correlate with a predisposition to heightened sensory sensitivity.

Demographic factors painted a nuanced picture. While age showed no significant effect, gender, department of study, and a reported family history of similar issues produced distinct differences on some sub-scales. Most strikingly, students who reported they were not receiving psychological support had significantly higher stress scores. This underscores a critical gap in care for those struggling with misophonia’s impacts.

Implications: Treating the Whole Person, Not Just the Ears

This study moves past viewing misophonia as a simple auditory hypersensitivity. The data frames it as a complex condition where sound triggers interact with an individual’s emotional regulation, stress response, and ability to adapt to environmental stimuli. The chronic stress associated with it suggests the condition is maintained by more than just the trigger sounds themselves.

The findings have direct practical implications. First, they argue for routine screening for stress and anxiety in individuals presenting with misophonia. Second, they highlight the urgent need to make psychological support accessible, as its absence was linked to worse outcomes. The researchers conclude that a multidisciplinary approach—integrating audiology, occupational therapy, and psychology—is likely essential for effective long-term management.

This aligns with growing interest in treatments that address the neurological and emotional pathways of misophonia. For instance, some research explores transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation for misophonia relief, which aims to modulate the body’s stress and emotional response systems. Similarly, understanding the link between auditory dysfunction and migraine provides a model for how sensory and limbic systems can interact to create debilitating symptoms.

Why Early Recognition and a Broad Approach Matter

The results support existing literature indicating that misophonia symptoms often establish themselves early in life and can become chronic in adulthood. This makes early recognition and intervention in educational settings, like the university environment studied, particularly important.

For healthcare educators and clinicians, the study is a call to action. Increasing awareness among future audiologists and occupational therapists can lead to better patient identification and empathy. The stress experienced by the students themselves, as detailed in our related article on misophonia stress in hearing health students, mirrors the distress of their future patients, creating a powerful incentive for improved training.

Ultimately, the work by Aktan and colleagues, available via DOI: 10.1186/s43163-026-01163-8, provides quantitative evidence that managing misophonia requires looking beyond the ear. Effective care must address the intertwined psychological stress and sensory processing challenges that define the lived experience of the condition.