Psychiatric Comorbidities in Hyperacusis and Misophonia: A Systematic Review

Background: The aim of this study was to conduct a systematic review of the research literature on the prevalence of psychiatric comorbidities in patients with hyperacusis and misophonia. Method: Four databases were searched: PubMed, PsycINFO, Scopus, and Web of Science (Wis)-last search conducted on the 16th of April 2024 to identify relevant studies. The methodological quality of each study was independently assessed using the JBI Critical Appraisal Checklist. Results: Five studies were included for the prevalence of psychiatric comorbidities in hyperacusis, and seventeen studies for misophonia. Among patients with hyperacusis, between 8% and 80% had depression, and between 39% and 61% had any anxiety disorder as measured via a diagnostic interview and/or self-report questionnaires. For misophonia, nine studies provided data on various forms of mood and anxiety disorders, with prevalences ranging from 1.1% to 37.3% and 0.2% to 69%, respectively. Conclusions: Although the 22 included studies varied considerably in design and scope, some recurring patterns of comorbidity were noted. However, apparent trends-such as the higher prevalence of mood and anxiety disorders compared to other psychiatric conditions-should be interpreted with caution, as most studies did not comprehensively assess a full range of psychiatric disorders. This likely skews prevalence estimates toward the conditions that were specifically investigated.