News & Events

Key Takeaways

• This study is the first to gather input from both children and their parents about what future misophonia advocacy, research, and clinical care should prioritize.
• Youth with misophonia and their parents identified the greatest needs as improving coping strategies, understanding triggers, and developing effective treatments.
• Families emphasized that misophonia has a major impact on daily life, affecting school, relationships, and emotional well-being.
• The study highlights the importance of involving those directly affected—both youth and caregivers—in shaping the future of misophonia research and care.

INTRODUCTION

Misophonia is a condition in which specific sounds trigger intense emotional or physical reactions, such as anger, anxiety, or disgust. Although misophonia often begins in childhood or adolescence, much of the current research has focused on adults. As this emerging field of research continues to grow, studies are increasingly exploring the experiences of youth and families, an important expansion to understand the diverse experiences of those within the misophonia community. Children and parents each experience misophonia in distinct ways across home, school, and social settings, and often share in the diagnostic and treatment journey. These experiences allow them both to contribute valuable insights into ongoing gaps in understanding and clinical care.

Increasingly, researchers are adopting patient-oriented or stakeholder-engaged approaches that involve partnering with people who have direct experience of a condition. By including those most affected, this approach helps ensure that scientific discoveries lead to practical, meaningful improvements in daily life.

To better understand the perspectives of children and parents living with misophonia, medical student Katherine Abraham, Dr. Andrew Guzick, and colleagues published a study titled What’s next for misophonia: Child and parent priorities for misophonia, supported by the Misophonia Research Fund (MRF). Their goal was to identify which aspects of misophonia most affect families’ lives and what research questions they most want answered. By centering voices from across the misophonia community, this study deepens our understanding of the condition while illuminating a clearer path forward to benefit those navigating misophonia every day.

STUDY RESULTS

Participants and Approach

The research team recruited 20 pairs of children or adolescents aged 8–17 with misophonia and their parents. Participants completed online questionnaires and individual interviews focused on their experiences, challenges, and hopes for future treatments and research.

Both children and parents were asked to rank their top priorities for future misophonia studies. Parents also reflected on how misophonia affected their family and what types of support or interventions they felt were most needed.

Misophonia Research Priorities from Children with Misophonia and Their Parents

When researchers analyzed responses from children and their parents, eight key themes emerged that together illustrate the broad impact of misophonia and the hopes families have for future progress. Participants emphasized:

1. “Advancing awareness for advocacy”

Better education for teachers, clinicians, and peers. Ensuring that it is broadly understood that misophonia is debilitating, impacts core daily functioning (i.e., school, time with family), and is a clinically significant condition that benefits from accommodation in school settings.

2. “Misophonia is outside of the child’s control”

Better awareness specifically about the lack of control that those with misophonia have with reactions to triggers and the damaging impact of trivializing or underestimating the disorder that is involuntary.

3. “Practical and misophonia-specific therapies needed”

Practical and effective therapeutic interventions and coping strategies that can be easily incorporated into daily life.

4. “Neurobiology of misophonia”

More information on the underlying cause of misophonia to reassure patients and families and lead researchers to better therapies.

5. “Defining misophonia beyond sound triggers”

Evaluating the broader range of misophonia symptoms, such as response to visual cues alone.

6. “Investigating the daily impact of misophonia”

Increased understanding of the severe impact misophonia can have on an individual’s quality of life and the resulting impact their experience has on the family.

7. “The misophonia-mental health connection”

Investigating the connection between misophonia and other mental health conditions.

8. “Research on prognosis”

Providing individuals and families with an understanding of what they can anticipate in the future with their misophonia experience.

INTERPRETATION AND NEXT STEPS

The authors note several important limitations to consider when interpreting these findings. Because participants self-selected to take part in the study, their experiences and views may differ from those of families who did not volunteer. Most of the sample was also white and female, with parents who had higher education levels. Future studies would benefit from expanding participation to better represent the broader population and diverse family dynamics of those affected by misophonia (for example, including siblings or extended family members).

Additionally, parents stated priorities may have been influenced by their existing knowledge of ongoing research, which was not assessed as part of this study. Despite these limitations, this work represents a vital step toward a more inclusive and informed misophonia research agenda—one that centers youth and families to guide future clinical and scientific progress.

Taken together, these findings outline key areas where continued investment and collaboration can have the greatest impact on quality of life for individuals and families. Many of these priorities align with ongoing misophonia research efforts, reinforcing the value of efforts that are underway. Importantly, the study underscores the need for a parallel focus on immediate, practical support, such as:

1. strategic and comprehensive awareness efforts,
2. advocacy for school accommodations, and
3. expanded education about what is currently known about misophonia and methods to treat, manage, or cope with the daily impact and long-term outlook.

Integrating these priorities across research, clinical practice, and community education will help ensure that scientific progress moves hand-in-hand with real-world change.

To read the full article, please visit our publications page here.