The Effectiveness of Cognitive-behavioral Therapy on Anger in Female Students with Misophonia: A Single-Case Study

BACKGROUND: Misophonia is an unpleasant condition, in which the feeling of excessive anger is triggered by specific sounds. The main objective of the present study was to investigate the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) on anger in female students with misophonia. METHODS: A study based on a non-concurrent multiple baseline design was conducted in 2018 at the School of Education and Psychology, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran. Three female students aged 20-22 years were recruited using the multi-stage random sampling method. The study was conducted in three stages, namely baseline, intervention, and follow-up sessions. The Novaco anger questionnaire was used during the baseline sessions, intervention sessions (sessions three, six, and eight), and six weeks follow-up (two, four, and six weeks after the last intervention session). Data were analyzed using visual analysis, reliability change index (RCI), and recovery percentage formula. RESULTS: CBT reduced the feeling of anger after the intervention and follow-up sessions. The recovery percentage at the end of the intervention sessions were 43.82, 42.28, and 9.09 for the first, second, and third participants, respectively. CONCLUSION: The findings of the present study confirm the effectiveness of CBT in reducing the feeling of anger in female students with misophonia.