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BACKGROUND INFORMATION

A study by MRF funded investigator Dr. Adam Lewin evaluated the therapeutic benefit of two different existing, evidence-based psychotherapies: transdiagnostic cognitive-behavioral therapy using the Unified Protocol for Children and Adolescents (UP-C/A) and psychoeducation and relaxation training (PRT) program. These therapies are considered evidence-based because robust scientific research supports their success in treating other disorders. Studies like this will produce evidence that they are either useful or not useful in treating misophonia.

The UP-C/A are therapy programs that help children and teens build skills to manage intense emotional and physiological reactions (how the body responds, like a racing heart or muscle tension) that can occur across many conditions. Rather than focusing on any single diagnosis, the term “transdiagnostic” indicates a therapy that can be used for many different diagnoses by targeting overlapping features. PRT helps people understand misophonia and their reactions to it, combined with relaxation training that offers simple techniques like slow breathing or muscle relaxation to ease tension during triggers. These protocols teach coping strategies, like understanding emotions, reducing avoidance, and increasing mindfulness, that can support overall well-being alongside other methods.

Although existing therapies were not designed specifically for misophonia, adapting and studying them helps researchers find ways to reduce the negative impact of misophonia now, while ongoing research efforts identify the biological cause needed to create targeted misophonia treatments in the future.

METHODS

This study utilized a randomized controlled trial (RCT), a method considered the gold standard for determining whether one approach works better than another by randomly assigning participants to different treatment groups. 43 youth with clinically significant misophonia received 10 telehealth treatment sessions. The impact on their misophonia was evaluated 5 and 10 weeks later. Researchers compared changes in misophonia symptoms, overall functioning, and satisfaction reported by youth and their caregivers.

RESULTS

Both treatments showed meaningful improvement in misophonia for some of the participants. Youth who received the UP-C/A were about twice as likely to benefit from treatment (54%) compared with those in the PRT group (25%). Families rate both approaches as highly acceptable and participants reported noticeable decreases in the negative daily impact of misophonia.

These findings contribute to an expanding toolbox of evidence-based (or research-supported) treatments that can be used to reduce the negative impact of misophonia, improving the daily quality of life for those with the disorder.

Research Paper: Treatment of youth misophonia: A randomized controlled trial comparing transdiagnostic cognitive-behavioral therapy to psychoeducation and relaxation training.

Authors: Adam B Lewin, Lauren Milgram, Sandra L Cepeda, Ashley Karlovich, Sarah Dickinson, Morgan Bolen, Sherelle L Harmon, Brent J Small, Jill Ehrenreich-May.

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ABOUT THE RESEARCH TEAM

Adam Lewin, PhD, is a Clinical Psychologist whose work is helping to inform how existing behavioral therapies can be tailored to help youth manage misophonia. Dr. Lewin has been the funded investigator on both a 2019 and 2022 MRF Research Impact Award to the University of South Florida.