The Sound and the Fury: Characterizing Misophonia

Misophonia, a recently coined term, describes a sound-sensitivity disorder in which individuals react to trigger sounds (e.g. chewing, swallowing, breathing) with marked distress, anxiety, irritability, and physiological arousal. To date, clinical and research literature has been limited – and an ongoing debate has emerged – regarding whether or not misophonia should be classed as a unique disorder, linked with other psychiatric conditions, particularly obsessive compulsive disorders, or considered a subclinical phenomenon. The present study addressed these questions by collecting diagnostic and self-report data from individuals enrolled in an ongoing randomized controlled treatment trial of misophonia. Specifically, this is the first known examination of misophonia in the context of DSM-5 psychopathology. Results demonstrate support for considering misophonia its own distinct disorder; no significant evidence was found to support the assertion that misophonia is a subtype of OCD. The present data suggest that anger is a core component of misophonia, in line with diagnostic considerations to date