What does a MSS score mean?
If somebody has given you a MSS score and not explained it, put it in below. This reads it against the instrument's own published table. You do not have to take anything.
The full published table
These ranges come from the instrument's own scoring documentation rather than from us. They describe groups of people, not individuals.
| Score | Interpretation | What it suggests |
|---|---|---|
| 0 – 14 | Subclinical / Mild Annoyance | Normal human irritation to unpleasant sounds. No clinical intervention needed. |
| 15 – 29 | Mild Misophonia | The sounds cause distinct, rapid anger, but the user can generally suppress their reaction and remain in the room without causing a scene. |
| 30 – 44 | Moderate Misophonia | The disorder is dictating lifestyle choices. The user actively avoids family dinners, certain coworkers, or public transit to prevent exposure. Frequent use of headphones. |
| 45 – 60 | Severe / Extreme Misophonia | Incapacitating. Triggers cause immediate fight-or-flight panic or rage. High risk of relationship destruction and occupational failure due to inability to tolerate the acoustic environment. |
Why a number on its own is not much use
A total tells you where a set of answers landed on a scale. It does not say which questions produced it, and two people reaching the same total can be having quite different weeks. A score driven by sleep and appetite is not the same as an identical score driven by hopelessness, and the difference changes what tends to help.
A score near the edge of a range is also less meaningful than the label makes it sound. Thresholds are drawn to be useful across a population, not to mark a real line between two states, so a point either way can change the word without changing the person.
If you would rather answer the questions
The MSS is available here in full, free and without an account, and answering it gives you the breakdown a bare total cannot: take the MSS.