An investigation into the relationship between misophonia awareness and perceived stress levels among occupational therapy and audiology students
Egyptian Journal of Otolaryngology, cilt.42, sa.1, 2026 (ESCI, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 42 Sayı: 1
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.1186/s43163-026-01163-8
- Dergi Adı: Egyptian Journal of Otolaryngology
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI), Scopus
- Anahtar Kelimeler: Misophonia, Misophonia awareness, Perceived stress levels
- İstanbul Gelişim Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Background and aims: Misophonia is a sound intolerance disorder characterised by an excessive negative reaction to specific sounds. A key feature of misophonia is the strong emotional reactions an individual develops towards specific triggering sounds. These reactions typically manifest as sudden anger, irritation, anxiety, or intense discomfort. This study aims to determine the level of misophonia awareness among occupational therapy and audiology students and establish the relationship between misophonia symptom severity and perceived stress levels. The study also aims to determine the correlation between misophonia symptoms and awareness of the condition. Methods: A total of 196 adult university students completed a demographic information form designed to assess their knowledge of misophonia, as well as the Misophonia Questionnaire (MQ) and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). Analysis of the internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha) coefficients and descriptive statistics of the scales and their sub-dimensions revealed that the internal consistency coefficients of the MQ subscales (0.752–0.829) and the PSS Cronbach’s alpha value (0.709) were acceptable, indicating good internal consistency. Results: Examining the responses to the scales according to stress status and the module studied revealed statistically significant differences across all parameters (p < 0.05). 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. This study revealed a relationship between the severity of misophonia symptoms, perceived stress levels, and demographic factors, psychological support status, and sensory awareness in university students. 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. While no significant differences were observed in terms of age, factors such as gender, department, and family history produced distinct differences in some sub-scales. The high stress scores of participants not receiving psychological support highlight the need for awareness of, and strategies to manage, misophonia. Conclusions: Furthermore, the findings support the existing literature which suggests that misophonia symptoms become established at an early age and may become chronic in adulthood. These results emphasise the importance of considering not only the neurophysiological basis of misophonia, but also its psychosocial dimensions. They also suggest that a multidisciplinary approach could improve treatment outcomes.