Otology
Misophonia is a disorder characterised by intense emotional and physiological responses to specific trigger sounds. Despite increasing recognition in the literature, its awareness and management within paediatric hearing health services remain unclear. This study aimed to evaluate clinicians' awareness, experience and documentation practices relating to misophonia in paediatric ENT and audiology settings.
Methods
A cross-sectional survey was conducted among clinicians working in paediatric ENT and audiology services, including audiologists, ENT doctors and nursing staff. A structured questionnaire explored participants' knowledge of misophonia, confidence in identifying the condition, clinical experience with affected patients, current documentation practices, and interest in further training or resources.
Results
Awareness of misophonia amongst paediatric hearing health professionals was extremely limited. Confidence in identifying the condition was low, and no respondents reported formally recognising misophonia in clinical practice. Although some clinicians had encountered behaviours consistent with sound sensitivity, these presentations were not attributed to misophonia. Documentation practices were informal, with no standardised assessment tools, documentation processes or referral pathways identified. Despite these findings, all participants expressed interest in receiving further education, training and clinical resources to support recognition and management of the condition.
Conclusion
Awareness, recognition and documentation of misophonia within paediatric ENT and audiology services appear limited. The absence of standardised documentation practices and referral pathways may contribute to under-recognition of affected children. Our findings highlight the need for targeted clinician education, development of standardised assessment and documentation approaches, and further research to support earlier identification and appropriate management of paediatric misophonia.