JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

This study examined the efficacy of transdiagnostic cognitive-behavioral therapy (T-CBT) and acceptance-based therapy (ABT) in reducing emotional dysregulation and aggression in adolescents with elevated misophonia symptoms. Employing a quasi-experimental pre-test/post-test design with a control group, the research targeted 45 adolescents from Etrat Public Model High School in Khalkhal, Iran, diagnosed with high misophonia via psychiatrist evaluation and clinical interview. Participants were purposively sampled and randomly assigned to T-CBT (n = 15), ABT (n = 15), or a no-treatment control group (n = 15). Interventions followed protocols adapted from Barlow et al. (2011) for T-CBT and Hayes et al. (2013) for ABT. Outcomes were measured using the Noise Sensitivity Screening Questionnaire (DSTS-S) , Buss and Perry Aggression Questionnaire (1992) , and Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS) . Data were analyzed via ANCOVA, controlling for baseline scores. Results indicated significant reductions in emotional dysregulation and aggression in both treatment groups compared to the control (p < 0.05). No significant differences emerged between T-CBT and ABT, suggesting both interventions are viable for addressing misophonia-related symptoms. Findings underscore the comorbidity of emotional dysregulation and aggression in adolescents with misophonia and highlight the clinical utility of transdiagnostic and acceptance-based approaches. Future research should explore long-term outcomes and comparative effectiveness of these therapies.