(PS2-D95) Characterization of Misophonia in a Nationally Representative Sample: Investigating Demographics and Comorbidity

Background: Misophonia is a disorder of decreased tolerance to specific sounds, which elicits negative affective reactions (e.g., irritation, anxiety) and contributes to impairment (Swedo et al., 2022). A small number of studies have found that misophonia commonly co-occurs with mental health disorders and medical conditions (Jager et al., 2020; Rosenthal et al., 2022); however, generalizability is limited by the samples used in these studies. To further understand the etiology and clinical presentation of misophonia, the current study investigated psychological, hearing, and medical characteristics of individuals with and without clinical levels of misophonia in a nationally representative sample. We hypothesized that the misophonia group would evidence higher levels of comorbidity and impairment compared to the control group. In addition, we predicted that misophonia symptoms would predict greater burden of symptoms.

Methods: Data were collected through Ipsos KnowledgePanel, which maintains a large, probability-based web panel designed to be representative of the United States. Participants (N = 4,005; 62.5% White, 51.5% Female) reported demographic and clinical characteristics and completed self-report measures of depression (PHQ-2; Kroenke et al., 2003), anxiety (GAD-2; Kroenke et al., 2007), stress (PSS-4; Cohen et al.,1983) and impairment (WSAS; Mundt et al., 2002). The misophonia group (n = 185) screened positive for clinical levels of misophonia based on the Amsterdam Misophonia Scale (AMISO-S; Schroder et al., 2013; M = 12.7, SD = 2.6) and Misophonia Questionnaire (MQ; Wu et al., 2014; Severity M = 9.3, SD = 2.4), whereas the control group (n = 135) endorsed low or no misophonia symptoms (AMISO-S M = .5, SD = .9; MQ M = 1.8, SD = 2.3). Independent samples t-tests, logistic regression, and chi-square analyses were conducted.

Results: Individuals with misophonia were significantly more likely to be younger (p < .001), female (p = .012), and unmarried (p = .013). Participants with misophonia showed significantly higher symptoms of depression (t[317] = 11.32, p < .001), anxiety (t[317] = 14.75, p < .001), and impairment (t[316] = 20.46, p < .001, though not stress (t[317] = 4.62, p </em>= .147). Individuals with misophonia were significantly more likely to report a history of psychological, medical, and hearing issues (ps < .05). Additionally, logistic regression analyses indicated that misophonia uniquely predicted depression, anxiety, and impairment (ps < .05).

Discussion: Results inform the characterization of misophonia by identifying demographic and clinical conditions that are more common among individuals with (vs. without) misophonia, which may enhance the detection of misophonia in clinical settings. Additionally, findings suggest that individuals with (vs. without) misophonia are more prone to experience additional psychological and medical conditions, which may exacerbate the burden of this condition. To improve overall wellbeing for individuals with misophonia, CBT therapists should consider the role of co-occurring mental health conditions, as well as collaborations with other providers to facilitate a multidisciplinary approach to assessment and treatment.