Prevalence of Misophonia and Hyperacusis Among Teachers

Could Hyperacusis and Misophonia Be Causes of Occupational Stress Among Teachers?

This study aims to determine the prevalence of hyperacusis and misophonia among teachers and to explore how these auditory sensitivities may relate to occupational stress. By examining teachers' sensory challenges in school environments, the study seeks to contribute to a better understanding of their impact on professional well-being and to inform strategies that can improve working conditions.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Hyperacusis; Misophonia

Detailed Description

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.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Estimated): 500

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Handan Turan Dizdar, PhD; Phone Number: +905055970627; Email: handan.dizdar@omu.edu.tr
• Study Contact Backup: Name: Buket Sena Çelik; Phone Number: +905551919801; Email: bukettscelik@gmail.com

Study Locations

• Turkey (Türkiye)
  • Samsun, Turkey (Türkiye), 55000
    • Recruiting
    • Ondokuz May Highschool
    • Contact: Handan Turan Dizdar, Teacher; Phone Number: +9005055970627; Email: handan.dizdar@omu.edu.tr
  • Çorum, Turkey (Türkiye), 19000
    • Recruiting
    • Atatürk Anatolia Highschool
    • Contact: Buket Sena Çelik, Student; Phone Number: +9005551919801; Email: bukettscelik@gmail.com

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

The study population will consist of teachers actively working in preschool, elementary, middle, and high schools. Participants will be aged 22 to 45 years, without diagnosed hearing loss, chronic illnesses, or psychological/psychiatric disorders. The study will include teachers from various schools to represent a diverse range of educational environments and experiences. Both male and female teachers will be eligible, and participants must be willing to provide informed consent prior to participation.

Description

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.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Prevalence of Misophonia Among Teachers	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.	Baseline (single assessment)
Prevalence of Hyperacusis Among Teachers	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).	Baseline (single assessment)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Severity Levels of Misophonia Symptoms	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.	Baseline (single assessment)
Severity Levels of Hyperacusis Symptoms	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.	Baseline (single assessment)

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Association of Misophonia and Hyperacusis with Occupational Stress	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.	Baseline (single assessment)

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Ondokuz Mayıs University
• Investigators: Study Chair: Handan Turan Dizdar, PhD, Ondokuz Mayıs University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): March 1, 2025
• Primary Completion (Estimated): May 1, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): May 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: April 7, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 7, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): April 14, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 14, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 7, 2026
• Last Verified: April 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Hyperacusis; Misophonia; Teacher; AMISOS-R; Khalfa Hyperacusis Scale
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Neurologic Manifestations; Nervous System Diseases; Otorhinolaryngologic Diseases; Sensation Disorders; Ear Diseases; Hearing Disorders; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Signs and Symptoms; Hyperacusis; misophonia
• Other Study ID Numbers: 2024/580

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No