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Dr. Michael Twohig’s research team at the University of Utah previously discovered beneficial effects of two existing “behavioral therapies”, Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Progressive Relaxation Training (PRT), which are structured approaches that target coping and emotional responses. In this study, researchers re-evaluated their previous study participants and identified early indicators of who experienced the greatest treatment benefit:

• Age: Older individuals showed slightly greater improvement maintained 6 months after treatment, as evaluated by the clinicians. However, both groups self-reported similar benefits.
• Co-Occurring Disorders: Individuals with fewer co-occurring disorders benefited more from these interventions.
• Psychological Flexibility: Greater levels of misophonia-specific psychological inflexibility, or how easily someone adjusts to stress or challenging emotions, were linked to greater self-reported reductions in the emotions and behaviors associated with misophonia after these treatment interventions. However, individuals with greater overall psychological inflexibility showed less treatment benefit over time.
• Symptom Severity: More severe misophonia symptoms before treatment, as evaluated by a clinician or the participant with misophonia, were linked to greater improvements in clinician-rated symptoms from treatment. Interestingly the same increased benefit was not seen when looking at impairment or self-reported misophonia evaluated after treatment.

Compared to other disorders, research into treatment strategies for misophonia is in its infancy. While clinician scientists have identified existing treatments that can have beneficial effects for individuals with misophonia, more research is needed to determine which treatments are the most effective, and for whom.

The importance of studies like this are compounded by the reality that misophonia is a complex condition, that varies across age, onset of symptoms, symptom severity, trigger types, the presence of co-occurring conditions, etc. Larger studies with diverse participants will enhance our understanding of these possible predictive factors. Over time, this work may help clinicians identify the most effective support strategies for individuals earlier in their care journey.

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Research Paper Title: Who benefits most? Exploring demographic and psychological predictors of misophonia psychotherapy outcomes.

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Authors: Julie M. Petersen, Emily M. Bowers, Mercedes G. Woolley, Guadalupe G. San Miguel, Karen Muñoz, Michael P. Twohig

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ABOUT THE RESEARCH TEAM

Michael Twohig, PhD, is a Clinical Psychologist that leads a team of researchers at the University of Utah who have contributed substantially to our understanding of the impact of behavioral therapies for people with misophonia.