Clinical correlates of individuals with and without misophonia in the U.S.: Results from a population-based study

Misophonia is a disorder characterized by strong negative affective, physiological, cognitive, and behavioral reactions to specific sounds (e.g., chewing, swallowing). Studies have begun to investigate co-occurring psychological and audiological disorders with misophonia, but are limited by methodology and generalizability. This study investigated the rate of comorbid disorders in a sample of individuals with and without misophonia using a nationally representative sample in the United States. Data were collected through Ipsos KnowledgePanel-a large, probability-based web panel that is representative of the United States. Participants were invited to complete a brief self-report survey of previous and current psychological and auditory-sensory symptoms and diagnoses. Over half (62.5%) of the misophonia sample reported they had received at least one psychological disorder diagnosis, wherein depression (48.9%) and anxiety disorders (46.7%) were the most commonly reported. Separate hierarchical multivariate binary logistic regression results demonstrate individuals with misophonia (n = 185) are more likely to report current mental health and auditory-sensory symptoms compared to individuals without misophonia (n = 1644) regardless of demographic factors. Further, hierarchical multivariate binary logistic results show individuals with misophonia are more likely to report lifetime diagnoses of all psychological, auditory-sensory, and communication disorders except hyperacusis, autism spectrum disorders, and certain behavior disorders compared to individuals without misophonia. Comorbidity rates were higher in the misophonia sample, and misophonia status was significantly associated with the presence of other clinical syndromes. Findings advance characterization of misophonia by highlighting the elevated co-occurrence rates of psychological and auditory-sensory disorders compared to individuals without misophonia.