Misophonia Stress in Audiology and OT Students

A study of 196 university students has revealed a strong connection between the severity of misophonia symptoms and higher levels of perceived stress. The research, led by Rahmiye Nur Aktan, Ali Karaağaç, and Hilal Nur Saygılı, also found that occupational therapy students scored higher on measures of both misophonia and stress than their audiology counterparts. These findings add weight to the argument that misophonia is a complex condition rooted in emotional and sensory processing, not simply a problem with hearing.

How Researchers Measured Misophonia and Stress

The research team recruited adult students from occupational therapy and audiology departments. Each participant completed three tools: a demographic form, the Misophonia Questionnaire (MQ), and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). The MQ assesses the severity of emotional and behavioral reactions to trigger sounds, while the PSS measures how uncontrollable and overloaded an individual finds their life.

Statistical analysis confirmed that both scales had good internal consistency, meaning the questions reliably measured what they were intended to measure. The team then compared scores based on the students’ department of study, stress levels, and other demographic factors to identify meaningful patterns.

Occupational Therapy Students Showed Higher Sensitivity

One of the most notable findings was the difference between the two student groups. Occupational therapy students consistently reported higher scores on both the misophonia and stress scales compared to audiology students.

The authors suggest this may be due to occupational therapy students’ trained awareness of sensory processing issues. “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 write. In other words, their education might make them more attuned to internal sensory and emotional states, which could influence their self-reporting.

The Stress-Misophonia Link Was Clear and Significant

Regardless of their major, students with higher perceived stress levels had more severe misophonia symptoms. This relationship was statistically significant across all parameters analyzed. The data paints a picture where daily stress and the intense reaction to sounds like chewing or breathing are closely intertwined.

A particularly striking detail was that participants who were not receiving any form of psychological support registered the highest stress scores of all. This points to a potential vulnerability and a clear need for accessible management strategies.

Misophonia Extends Beyond the Ears

The results strongly support a modern understanding of misophonia as a disorder that involves much more than the auditory system. “The 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,” the authors conclude.

This aligns with other research exploring the emotional regulation components of misophonia. The condition shares features with other sensory and emotional processing disorders, suggesting overlapping mechanisms in how the brain assigns threat and value to stimuli.

Practical Implications for Management and Care

This study has several direct implications. First, it highlights the need for awareness, particularly among healthcare students and professionals who may encounter patients with misophonia. Increased understanding can lead to better identification and reduce dismissal of the condition as trivial irritability.

Second, the strong stress link indicates that stress management techniques could be a beneficial part of any misophonia management plan. Approaches that improve emotional regulation and reduce overall autonomic arousal may lessen the impact of trigger sounds. Some emerging interventions, like transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation, aim to do exactly this by calming the nervous system’s overreaction.

Finally, the finding about psychological support is critical. It argues for making mental health support accessible and for considering therapies that address the conditioned anger and anxiety at the core of misophonia, potentially improving quality of life.

A Multidisciplinary Path Forward

Aktan, Karaağaç, and Saygılı emphasize that their results argue for a multidisciplinary approach to misophonia. Effective care likely requires collaboration between audiologists, mental health professionals, and occupational therapists. This team-based method can address the auditory, psychological, and sensory-motor components of the condition simultaneously.

The study also reinforces the chronic nature of misophonia, noting symptoms often start early and solidify in adulthood. This makes early intervention and the development of coping strategies all the more important. As research continues to map the shared biology between conditions like PTSD and tinnitus, similar neural pathways in misophonia are coming into focus, offering new directions for treatment.

Source: Aktan, R.N., Karaağaç, A. & Saygılı, H.N. Misophonia awareness, symptom severity and perceived stress levels in university students. Egypt J Otolaryngol 40, 97 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s43163-026-01163-8