Psychometric Evaluation of the Misophonia Impact Questionnaire using a Clinical Population of Patients Seeking Help for Tinnitus, Hyperacusis, and/or Misophonia.

Abstract

Background:  Misophonia is a decreased tolerance of certain sounds related to eating noises, lip smacking, sniffing, breathing, clicking sounds, and tapping. While several validated self-report misophonia questionnaires exist, none focus solely on the impact of misophonia on the patient's life. Additionally, there are no available validated pediatric self-report measures of misophonia. Therefore, a tool was needed to assess the impact of misophonia on both adult and pediatric patients.

Purpose:  To evaluate the psychometric properties of the 8-item Misophonia Impact Questionnaire (MIQ).

Research design:  This was a retrospective cross-sectional study.

Study sample:  Patients who attended the Tinnitus and Hyperacusis Therapy Specialist Clinic in the United Kingdom seeking help for tinnitus, hyperacusis, and/or misophonia (n = 256). A subsample of children aged 16 years or younger (n = 15) was included for preliminary analyses of a version of the MIQ to be filled in by a parent (MIQ-P).

Data collection and analysis:  Data were collected retrospectively from the records of patients held at the audiology department. These included demographic data, audiological measures, and self-report questionnaires taken as part of routine care. Descriptive statistics and psychometric analyses were conducted. The MIQ was analyzed for item difficulty, factor structure, reliability, and construct validity.

Results:  Confirmatory factor analysis revealed that a one-factor model for the MIQ gave an excellent fit and its estimated reliability was excellent, with Cronbach's α = 0.94. The total MIQ scores were highly correlated with scores for the Hyperacusis Impact Questionnaire and Sound Sensitivity Symptoms Questionnaire. MIQ scores were not significantly correlated with scores for the Tinnitus Impact Questionnaire or average hearing thresholds. Preliminary data from the subsample indicated excellent internal consistency for the MIQ-P, with Cronbach's α = 0.92.

Conclusions:  The MIQ is a promising questionnaire for assessing the impact of misophonia. Future studies should focus on establishing test/retest reliability, identifying clinically significant change in MIQ scores, defining the severity of misophonia impact categories, and further exploring the psychometric properties of the MIQ-P.