Abstract
The aim of the present study was to investigate whether dispositional disgust sensitivity and affective styles are associated with features of misophonia and whether emotion dysregulation plays a role in this relationship. We anticipated disgust sensitivity and emotion dysregulation to be vulnerability factors for the emotional distress and behavioral reactions seen in misophonia. A sample of 334 adults (223 females, 104 males, and 7 non-binary individuals) ranging in age from 18 to 65 years were recruited through online social media websites and completed an online battery of scales that consisted of the Disgust Scale-Revised, the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale-Short Form, the Affective Styles Questionnaire, and the New York Misophonia Scale. Significant correlations were obtained among the study variables. Results of mediation analysis indicated that disgust sensitivity has both direct and indirect effects on misophonic distress but only indirect effects on behavioral reactions in misophonia. The affective styles adjusting and tolerating had only indirect effects on misophonia symptomology. While emotion dysregulation partially mediated the relationship between disgust sensitivity and misophonic distress, it completely mediated the relationship between disgust sensitivity and misophonic behavioral reactions. These findings imply that the aggressive and avoidance reactions in misophonia may be a consequence of emotional dysregulation while misophonic distress may be a reflection of mental contamination associated with dispositional disgust sensitivity. Findings of the study have theoretical and clinical implications. Interventions focusing on disgust sensitivity reduction may benefit individuals with misophonia.
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Barahmand, U., Stalias-Mantzikos, M.E., Rotlevi, E. et al. Disgust and Emotion Dysregulation in Misophonia: a Case for Mental Contamination?. Int J Ment Health Addiction 21, 1550–1569 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-021-00677-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-021-00677-x