The study is approved by King's College London Psychiatry, Nursing & Midwifery Research Ethics Subcommittee. (REC Reference Number: HR-18/19-11826 ).

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Title of study

Selective Sound Sensitivity Syndrome Scale: S-Five



Invitation Paragraph

Thank you for taking interest in this research, conducted by researchers at the Psychometrics and Measurement Lab, Department of Biostatistics and Health Informatics, King’s College London. Before you decide whether you want to continue, please take some time to be informed about the scopes of this research and what it will involve for you. Please take the time to read the following information carefully. If there is anything that is not clear or if you would like more information, please email psychometrics@kcl.ac.uk.



What is the purpose of the study?

The study investigates sound sensitivities that are characterised by an intolerance to certain noises, resulting in an extreme physiological and emotional response. This includes the sound of people eating or repetitive tapping, among others. People with those sensitivities find it extremely difficult to focus when they can hear these sounds and end up doing things to try and cope better, like wearing earplugs or avoiding being in places where they might hear those sounds. This can understandably cause problems with work and study, and sometimes causes big problems in relationships.

This study aims to improve on a questionnaire that has been designed to help work out whether someone has those sound sensitivities, how severe they are, and how much their life is affected by them. The questionnaire also tries to capture some of the more unusual thoughts and feelings that people with those sensitivities have, which could give therapists the additional information they need to help those people improve their lives and feel less bothered by their symptoms. The researchers will then use scientific techniques to refine the questionnaire and to make sure it does precisely what it is supposed to do, so that it can be used for research around the world.



Why have I been invited to take part?

We are looking for adults, aged 18 and over, from a wide range of backgrounds to take part, including people with or without any experience of issues relating to sounds sensitivities. Potential participants are required to be fluent in English and have no diagnosis of learning disabilities.



What will happen if I take part?

Taking part in this study involves completing an online survey. You will be asked to complete questions from our new questionnaire about your experiences of sound sensitivity, potential trigger stimuli, reaction to triggers, and family history. In addition to this, you will be asked to complete questions about you, such as your age and whether or not you have experienced a mental health problem. There is an optional second part of the study where we ask you to complete a shorter questionnaire two weeks later. If you want to do this, you will be asked to provide an e-mail address, which is completely anonymous as your e-mail address is collected through an external website and it is not linked to your responses. The online survey should take no more than 40 minutes to complete and you can complete it at a location of your choice.





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