MisophoniaNCT07220941
Digital Intervention for Adults With Misophonia
A study testing Acceptance and commitment therapy in people with Misophonia, run by Utah State University at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
The goal of this clinical trial is to test an online intervention for adults with misophonia. The main questions it aims to answer are: 1. Is the online intervention effective, compared to a waitlist control condition? 2. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Misophonia
- What is being tested?
- Acceptance and commitment therapy
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 102 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 16 Oct 2025to 20 Jul 2026
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Currently meet clinical impairment for misophonia.
- At least 18 years old.
- Fluent English speakers.
- Currently live or reside in the United States
Who cannot join
- Currently receiving alternative psychotherapy for misophonia.
- Currently modifying or starting psychotropic medication (within 30 days of starting the study).
- Any psychological and/or neurological impairments that would preclude someone from participating in the study (e.g.,active self-harm or psychosis)
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: Efficacy and Feasibility of an Online Acceptance Based Intervention for Misophonia: A Randomized Controlled Trial
The goal of this clinical trial is to test an online intervention for adults with misophonia. The main questions it aims to answer are:
- Is the online intervention effective, compared to a waitlist control condition?
- Is the online intervention acceptable to use?
Participants will be randomized into either the online intervention or waitlist control condition:
- Participants in the intervention condition will be asked to complete an 8 module acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) program for misophonia and 5 surveys over 4 months.
- Participants in the waitlist condition will be asked to complete 5 surveys over 4 months, and will receive access to the intervention once the study is complete.
Read the detailed description
Misophonia, characterized by intense emotional reactions to specific sounds, significantly impacts daily functioning and quality of life. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) has shown promise in addressing misophonia symptoms by fostering psychological flexibility. While recent intervention studies demonstrate the efficacy of ACT for misophonia, accessible and scalable treatment options remain scarce. This study aims to address this gap by developing and evaluating a fully automated, online ACT-based digital mental health intervention for misophonia. The investigators will compare the intervention to a delayed treatment group in a sample of 100 adults meeting clinical criteria for misophonia. Outcomes will include misophonia symptoms, quality of life, general distress, and psychological flexibility, assessed at baseline, mid-intervention, post-intervention, and one- and two-month follow-up. Multilevel modeling will test time by condition interactions to examine the efficacy and feasibility of an online ACT-based intervention. This fully automated online intervention aims to provide accessible, evidence-based treatment for individuals with misophonia, laying groundwork for future, larger-scale studies and public dissemination.
- Conditions
- Misophonia
- Being tested
- Acceptance and commitment therapy
- Keywords
- Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), Digital mental health intervention (DMHI)
- Medical subject headings
- misophonia
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Acceptance and commitment therapyBehavioural
Also called ACT
Participants will complete the 8-module fully automated digital intervention based in acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). The digital program is based off of an ACT protocol developed in a prior randomized controlled trial and adapted for digital self-help use (Bowers et al., 2024). Modules focus on focus on acceptance, cognitive defusion, present moment awareness, values clarification, and functional adaptations.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| ACT online program | Experimental | Participants will complete the 8-module fully automated digital intervention based in acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). Receives: Behavioral: Acceptance and commitment therapy |
| Waitlist Control | No intervention | Waitlist condition; assessment only. |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Selective Sound Sensitivity Syndrome Scale (S-Five; Vitoratou et al., 2021)
The S-Five is a 25-item self-report measure of misophonia severity. Items (e.g., "I feel trapped if I cannot get away from certain noises") are rated on a 0 (not at all true) to 10 (completely true) ordinal scale with total scores ranging from 0 to 250. The S-Five consists of five latent factors: (1) externalizing appraisals (e.g., blaming others for making sounds), (2) internalizing appraisals (e.g., negative self-judgments triggered by misophonia), (3) impact on functioning (e.g., social and occupational impact), (4) outburst (e.g., experiences of aggression or fear of losing control), and (5) threat (e.g., feeling trapped or helpless). The S-Five demonstrates good internal consistency and convergent validity with other misophonia measures (Vitoratou et al., 2023).
Measured: 16 weeks
Secondary outcomes (4)
Misophonia acceptance and action questionnaire (Miso-AAQ; Capel et al., 2025)
The Miso-AAQ is a 7-item self-report measure of misophonia-specific psychological inflexibility, adapted from the AAQ-III (Ong et al., 2019). Items (e.g., "I'm so afraid of my reactions to sounds that I don't do things I care about" are rated from 1 (never true) to 7 (always true) Likert scale. Total scores range from 7 to 49 with higher scores indicating greater misophonia-specific psychological inflexibility. Preliminary validation from a treatment seeking sample of adults with misophonia suggest good internal consistency and convergent validity (Capel et al., 2025).
Measured: 16 weeks
Comprehensive assessment of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy processes (CompACT; Francis et al., 2016)
The CompACT is a 23-item self-report measure of psychological flexibility. Items (e.g., "I make choices based on what is important to me, even if it is stressful) are rated on a 7-point Likert scale from 0 (strongly disagree) to 6 (strongly agree), with 12 items reverse-scored. Total scores range from 0 to 138 with higher scores indicating greater psychological flexibility. The CompACT demonstrates good internal consistency and convergent validity (Francis et al., 2016).
Measured: 16 weeks
Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21; Lovibond & Lovibond, 1995)
The DASS-21 is a 21 item self-report measure of distress comprised of three 7-item subscales: (1) depression, (2) anxiety, and (3) stress. Items are rated from 0 (did not apply to me at all) to 3 (applied to me very much or most of the time), with higher scores indicating greater symptom severity. Subscale scores are summed and multiplied by two, yielding scores ranging from 0-42 for each subscale.
Measured: 16 weeks
Mental Health Continuum-Short Form (MHC-SF; Keyes, 2005)
The MHC-SF is a 14-item self-report measure of well-being. Items assess emotional, social, and psychological well-being, rated on a 6-point Likert scale from 0 (never) to 5 (every day). A total score is calculated from summing all items and ranges from 0 to 70, with higher scores reflecting greater well-being. The MHC-SF has demonstrated strong internal consistency and validity in prior studies (Lamers et al., 2011).
Measured: 16 weeks
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted24 Oct 2025
- Study start16 Oct 2025
- Primary completion20 Jul 2026
- Study completion20 Jul 2026
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for MisophoniaStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 102 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Utah State University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Misophonia Research Fund
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Emily M Bowers, M.S., Principal investigator, Utah State University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07220941
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 15239
- Status last verified
- Oct 2025
- First submitted
- 21 Oct 2025
- Last updated
- 20 Oct 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 20 Oct 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Efficacy and Feasibility of an Online Acceptance Based Intervention for Misophonia: A Randomized Controlled Trial
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07220941
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 15239
- Conditions
- Misophonia
- Keywords
- Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), Digital mental health intervention (DMHI)
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 102 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Utah State UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Misophonia Research Fund
- Study start
- 16 Oct 2025 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 20 Jul 2026 (actual)
- Study completion
- 20 Jul 2026 (actual)
- First posted
- 24 Oct 2025 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The goal of this clinical trial is to test an online intervention for adults with misophonia. The main questions it aims to answer are:
- Is the online intervention effective, compared to a waitlist control condition?
- Is the online intervention acceptable to use?
Participants will be randomized into either the online intervention or waitlist control condition:
- Participants in the intervention condition will be asked to complete an 8 module acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) program for misophonia and 5 surveys over 4 months.
- Participants in the waitlist condition will be asked to complete 5 surveys over 4 months, and will receive access to the intervention once the study is complete.
Detailed description
Misophonia, characterized by intense emotional reactions to specific sounds, significantly impacts daily functioning and quality of life. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) has shown promise in addressing misophonia symptoms by fostering psychological flexibility. While recent intervention studies demonstrate the efficacy of ACT for misophonia, accessible and scalable treatment options remain scarce. This study aims to address this gap by developing and evaluating a fully automated, online ACT-based digital mental health intervention for misophonia. The investigators will compare the intervention to a delayed treatment group in a sample of 100 adults meeting clinical criteria for misophonia. Outcomes will include misophonia symptoms, quality of life, general distress, and psychological flexibility, assessed at baseline, mid-intervention, post-intervention, and one- and two-month follow-up. Multilevel modeling will test time by condition interactions to examine the efficacy and feasibility of an online ACT-based intervention. This fully automated online intervention aims to provide accessible, evidence-based treatment for individuals with misophonia, laying groundwork for future, larger-scale studies and public dissemination.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| ACT online program | Experimental | Behavioral: Acceptance and commitment therapyParticipants will complete the 8-module fully automated digital intervention based in acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). |
| Waitlist Control | No intervention | –Waitlist condition; assessment only. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Currently meet clinical impairment for misophonia.
- At least 18 years old.
- Fluent English speakers.
- Currently live or reside in the United States
Key exclusion criteria (3 listed)
- Currently receiving alternative psychotherapy for misophonia.
- Currently modifying or starting psychotropic medication (within 30 days of starting the study).
- Any psychological and/or neurological impairments that would preclude someone from participating in the study (e.g.,active self-harm or psychosis)
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Acceptance and commitment therapyAlso: ACTParticipants will complete the 8-module fully automated digital intervention based in acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). The digital program is based off of an ACT protocol developed in a prior randomized controlled trial and adapted for digital self-help use (Bowers et al., 2024). Modules focus on focus on acceptance, cognitive defusion, present moment awareness, values clarification, and functional adaptations. | Behavioural | ACT online program |
Primary outcome
Selective Sound Sensitivity Syndrome Scale (S-Five; Vitoratou et al., 2021)
Time frame: 16 weeks
The S-Five is a 25-item self-report measure of misophonia severity. Items (e.g., "I feel trapped if I cannot get away from certain noises") are rated on a 0 (not at all true) to 10 (completely true) ordinal scale with total scores ranging from 0 to 250. The S-Five consists of five latent factors: (1) externalizing appraisals (e.g., blaming others for making sounds), (2) internalizing appraisals (e.g., negative self-judgments triggered by misophonia), (3) impact on functioning (e.g., social and occupational impact), (4) outburst (e.g., experiences of aggression or fear of losing control), and (5) threat (e.g., feeling trapped or helpless). The S-Five demonstrates good internal consistency and convergent validity with other misophonia measures (Vitoratou et al., 2023).
4 secondary outcomes
Misophonia acceptance and action questionnaire (Miso-AAQ; Capel et al., 2025)
Time frame: 16 weeks
Comprehensive assessment of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy processes (CompACT; Francis et al., 2016)
Time frame: 16 weeks
Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21; Lovibond & Lovibond, 1995)
Time frame: 16 weeks
Mental Health Continuum-Short Form (MHC-SF; Keyes, 2005)
Time frame: 16 weeks
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 20 Oct 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Emily M Bowers, M.S. principal investigator
Utah State University
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Acceptance and commitment therapy in people with Misophonia, run by Utah State University at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 4 inclusion and 3 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 20 Oct 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Selective Sound Sensitivity Syndrome Scale (S-Five; Vitoratou et al., 2021) (time frame: 16 weeks). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 20 Oct 2026.