Women ‘more likely to be told autoimmune conditions are psychological’

Cambridge University study suggests stark gender divide in misdiagnosis, with women also waiting longer for treatment

Women with autoimmune conditions are up to 74% more likely than men to be told their symptoms are psychological or psychosomatic, and face much longer waits for a diagnosis and treatment, a study suggests.

But research by the University of Cambridge and University of East Anglia suggests a stark gender divide when it comes to how signs of the conditions are handled by doctors.

The lead author, Melanie Sloan, said: “The damage caused to women by these types of misdiagnosis can be very long lasting in terms of trusting doctors and their own self-esteem.”

The study, published in the Lancet eClinicalMedicine journal, included more than 6,600 people with autoimmune conditions. Most were female and from the UK.

One in seven women in the study had systemic lupus, which can cause tiredness, rashes and muscle pain.

Researchers found 43% of women reported being told their condition was down to a psychiatric cause compared with a third of men (33%).

Overall, after accounting for factors including age, disease group, continent and household finances, researchers said women were 46% more likely to report having received a psychiatric misdiagnosis, and 74% more likely to report a psychosomatic misdiagnosis than men.

Autoimmune conditions, which happen when the immune system attacks the body by mistake, can be complex to diagnose as they often present with symptoms common in the wider population.

The study team said “broader diagnostic challenges affect both sexes” but “females may face additional disadvantages”.

Sloan said the findings “highlight that psychological or mental health explanations can be given too soon”.

“It is really important that symptoms are not automatically assumed to be psychological and for doctors to just say, ‘I believe you,’ to patients with symptoms that the doctors cannot see.”