Anxiety and depression among Canadian undergraduates with decreased sound tolerance

Decreased sound tolerance (DST) is an encompassing term for conditions marked by a reduced tolerance to everyday sounds. Misophonia, sensitivity to specific trigger sounds which cue aversive responses, is one DST subtype. Hyperacusis, another DST subtype, occurs when people are irritated by general sounds that are not bothersome to others. Research suggests that those with DST face heightened mental health challenges. Psychometrically validated measures aligned with the recent misophonia consensus definition have not assessed the relationship between misophonia and mental health. There is also a complete dearth of DST-mental health research in Canadian universities. Here, 2095 Canadian undergraduate students completed DST and mental health questionnaires. We explored the relationship between anxiety and depression and DST. We found strong, positive correlations between DST symptoms and mental health difficulties. These findings highlight DST's detrimental effects and the need for future research on strategies for managing and treating DST in post-secondary institutions.