Misophonia is a marker of vulnerability to mental disorders.
Misophonia — a painful reaction to certain sounds, such as chewing, swallowing, or sniffing — may be associated with an increased risk of mental disorders. This conclusion was reached by American researchers who analyzed data from a nationally representative sample of adult residents of the United States. The results of the study were published in the journal Psychiatry Research (PR).
The study compared 185 individuals with misophonia and 1,644 individuals without it. It turned out that people with misophonia significantly more often experience both current symptoms of anxiety and depression, as well as previously diagnosed psychiatric disorders. About 65 percent of participants with misophonia reported that at least once in their lives they had been diagnosed with at least one mental disorder. The most common were depression (48.9 percent) and anxiety disorders (46.7 percent).
Additionally, individuals with misophonia were more frequently found to have PTSD, obsessive-compulsive disorder, eating disorders, ADHD, and other conditions. After adjusting for age, sex, income level, and other demographic factors, misophonia remained associated with significantly higher odds of most studied disorders. Such individuals also more often experienced auditory and sensory issues, including tinnitus, hyperacusis, and auditory processing disorders.
The authors emphasize that the study does not prove a direct causal relationship. However, the results indicate that misophonia may be an important marker of increased vulnerability to mental and sensory disorders.
