Prevalence of Misophonia and Hyperacusis Among Teachers

Misophonia is characterized by reduced tolerance to specific everyday sounds, such as chewing, breathing, or tapping, and may also be triggered by environmental noises from engines, animals, or mechanical sources. Hyperacusis, similarly, involves an increased sensitivity to ordinary sounds and discomfort in response to noises that are typically well tolerated by individuals with normal hearing.

Teachers represent a population potentially at higher risk for these conditions due to daily exposure to varying classroom sounds and occupational noise. Understanding how common these auditory sensitivities may be in this group will help clarify their potential impact on teachers' well-being and occupational functioning. Therefore this study will investigate the prevalence of misophonia and hyperacusis among actively working teachers.

The study will include teachers aged 22-45 without diagnosed hearing loss, chronic illness, or psychological disorders. Participants will complete a sociodemographic form assessing health and work-related characteristics, followed by validated measures: the Khalfa Hyperacusis Scale for hyperacusis and the AMISOS-R for misophonia. Data obtained from these assessments are expected to contribute to a clearer understanding of sensory challenges in educational environments and support future strategies to improve teachers' occupational health.

Primary outcomes

• Prevalence of Misophonia Among Teachers [Baseline (single assessment)]: The proportion of teachers identified as having misophonia based on predefined classification criteria using the Amsterdam Misophonia Scale-Revised (AMISOS-R). The AMISOS-R total score ranges from 0 to 40, with higher scores indicating greater misophonia severity. Misophonia severity is classified as none, mild, moderate, or severe according to established cutoff values.
• Prevalence of Hyperacusis Among Teachers [Baseline (single assessment)]: The proportion of teachers identified as having hyperacusis based on predefined classification criteria using the Khalfa Hyperacusis Scale. The scale consists of 14 items scored on a 4-point Likert scale, with a total possible score of 0-42. Participants are classified as having "no hyperacusis" (≤15), "suspected hyperacusis" (16-28), or "hyperacusis" (≥29).

Secondary outcomes

• Severity Levels of Misophonia Symptoms [Baseline (single assessment)]: Distribution of teachers according to misophonia severity levels (none, mild, moderate, severe) based on the AMISOS-R. The AMISOS-R total score ranges from 0 to 40, with higher scores indicating more severe misophonia symptoms.
• Severity Levels of Hyperacusis Symptoms [Baseline (single assessment)]: Distribution of teachers according to hyperacusis severity levels ("no hyperacusis," "suspected hyperacusis," "hyperacusis") based on the Khalfa Hyperacusis Scale. The scale has a total score range of 0-42, with higher scores indicating more severe hyperacusis symptoms.

Other outcomes

• Association of Misophonia and Hyperacusis with Occupational Stress [Baseline (single assessment)]: Distribution of misophonia (AMISOS-R) and hyperacusis (Khalfa Hyperacusis Scale) severity levels according to teachers' self-reported occupational stress. Misophonia and hyperacusis severity will be classified using the same criteria as above. This outcome will examine the potential relationship between auditory sensitivity and work-related stress.

Sex: All, ages: 22 Years to 45 Years, accepts healthy volunteers

Inclusion Criteria:

* Teachers actively working in preschool, elementary, middle, or high schools.
* Age between 22 and 45 years.
* Willingness to participate and provide informed consent.
* No diagnosed hearing loss.
* No chronic illnesses.
* No diagnosed psychological or psychiatric disorders.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Individuals with hearing loss.
* Individuals with chronic illnesses.
* Individuals with serious psychological or psychiatric diagnoses.
* Individuals who are not actively teaching.
* Participants unwilling to provide informed consent.

• Handan Turan Dizdar, PhD, Study chair, Ondokuz Mayıs University