Women suffering from autoimmune diseases are significantly more likely than men to report being told that their physical symptoms are psychological, according to new research that highlights persistent gender differences in medical diagnosis.
The study, published on October 13, 2026, in the scientific journal eClinicalMedicine, examined the diagnostic experiences of 6,607 people living with autoimmune conditions.
Researchers from the University of Cambridge and the University of East Anglia found that women were substantially more likely to report receiving incorrect psychiatric or psychosomatic diagnoses before their autoimmune disease was identified.
The findings also revealed striking differences in how long patients waited for an accurate diagnosis.
While men most frequently reported receiving a diagnosis within three months of their first symptoms, women most commonly reported waiting between one and two years.
The research raises important questions about how doctors interpret symptoms such as fatigue, pain, weakness and other conditions that may not be immediately explained by routine medical tests.
At the center of the findings is a concern that has long been raised by patients and healthcare advocates: women experiencing physical symptoms may be more likely to have their complaints attributed to psychological causes before an underlying medical condition has been adequately investigated.
The Figures: 43% of Women Reported an Incorrect Psychiatric Diagnosis
The study identified significant differences in the types of misdiagnosis reported by male and female patients.
Among women with autoimmune diseases, 43% reported previously receiving an incorrect psychiatric diagnosis, compared with 33% of men.
The difference was even more pronounced for psychosomatic diagnoses.
Approximately 34% of women said their symptoms had incorrectly been classified as psychosomatic, compared with 22% of men.
After researchers adjusted their analysis for factors including age, disease category, geographical region and household financial circumstances, the gender differences remained substantial.
Women had approximately 46% higher odds of reporting an incorrect psychiatric diagnosis and 74% higher odds of reporting an incorrect psychosomatic diagnosis than men.
These figures describe relative differences between groups, not the percentage of all women with autoimmune diseases who receive such diagnoses.
The distinction is important because the findings identify a pattern in patients’ reported diagnostic experiences rather than suggesting that 74% of women are misdiagnosed.
Women Wait Longer for Diagnosis and Treatment
One of the study’s most concerning findings involved the length of time between the appearance of symptoms and the eventual diagnosis of an autoimmune condition.
For men, the most frequently reported diagnostic interval was less than three months.
For women, the most frequently reported interval was one to two years.
These figures represent the most common response categories rather than average waiting times.
Nevertheless, the difference suggests that women in the study often experienced substantially longer diagnostic journeys.
Female participants also reported attending more medical appointments before receiving an accurate diagnosis.
Such delays can have serious consequences.
Many autoimmune diseases involve persistent inflammation that can damage tissues and organs if not appropriately managed.
Although the urgency and benefits of early treatment vary between conditions, timely diagnosis can be essential for controlling symptoms, preventing complications and improving quality of life.
For patients whose symptoms are initially attributed to psychological causes, the delay may also create frustration and undermine confidence in medical professionals.
Cambridge Researcher Warns Against Premature Psychological Explanations
Melanie Sloan, the study’s lead author and a researcher associated with Cambridge and the University of East Anglia, highlighted the difficulties involved in diagnosing autoimmune conditions.
Many of these diseases initially produce symptoms that are difficult to interpret.
Fatigue, joint pain, sleep disturbances and unexplained weakness can occur in numerous medical conditions.
A definitive diagnosis may therefore require repeated assessments, laboratory investigations and specialist referrals.
However, Sloan warned that psychological explanations may sometimes be offered too early in the diagnostic process.
The research suggests that this can happen to both men and women, but women appear particularly vulnerable to having physical symptoms incorrectly attributed to psychiatric or psychosomatic causes.
The findings reinforce the importance of listening carefully to patients, acknowledging diagnostic uncertainty and reconsidering earlier conclusions when symptoms persist or evolve.
Autoimmune Diseases Affect Approximately One in Ten People Worldwide
Autoimmune diseases develop when the immune system mistakenly attacks the body’s own tissues.
Instead of exclusively targeting infections and other external threats, immune responses become directed against healthy cells or organs.
These conditions affect hundreds of millions of people worldwide.
Estimates suggest that approximately one in ten people globally lives with an autoimmune disease.
The category includes a wide range of conditions affecting different parts of the body.
Examples include rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, multiple sclerosis and autoimmune thyroid disorders.
Symptoms vary considerably depending on the disease.
Some conditions primarily affect the joints, while others involve the nervous system, skin, kidneys or endocrine organs.
Several autoimmune diseases can also affect multiple organ systems simultaneously.
This diversity makes diagnosis particularly challenging, especially when early symptoms are vague or fluctuate over time.
Hashimoto’s and Graves’ Disease: When Thyroid Symptoms Resemble Anxiety
Autoimmune thyroid conditions featured prominently in the research.
Nearly one-quarter of the female participants reported living with an autoimmune thyroid disorder.
Two important examples are Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and Graves’ disease.
Hashimoto’s disease commonly causes hypothyroidism, a condition in which the thyroid gland produces insufficient thyroid hormones.
Symptoms may include fatigue, weight gain, hair loss, sensitivity to cold and joint discomfort.
Graves’ disease usually causes hyperthyroidism, involving excessive thyroid hormone production.
Patients may experience a rapid heartbeat, weight loss, nervousness, tremors and, in some cases, eye problems.
Some of these symptoms overlap with those associated with anxiety or other psychological conditions.
That overlap can complicate diagnosis.
Appropriate clinical assessment and thyroid function testing can help identify whether an underlying endocrine disorder is contributing to a patient’s symptoms.
The researchers’ findings underline the importance of avoiding premature conclusions when symptoms may have several possible explanations.
Lupus: A Complex Disease That Can Affect Multiple Organs
Approximately one in seven women in the study reported having systemic lupus erythematosus, commonly known as lupus.
Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease that can affect the skin, joints, kidneys, blood and other organs.
Its symptoms vary widely between individuals.
Some patients experience fatigue, rashes and joint pain.
Others develop more serious complications involving internal organs.
Lupus can also produce neurological or psychiatric manifestations in certain cases.
This creates an additional diagnostic challenge.
Doctors may need to distinguish between an independent mental health condition, the psychological consequences of living with chronic illness and neurological or psychiatric symptoms directly associated with autoimmune disease.
These possibilities are not mutually exclusive.
A patient may have both an autoimmune condition and a genuine psychiatric disorder.
The central challenge is to ensure that neither possibility is overlooked.
Are Historical Gender Stereotypes Still Influencing Medical Decisions?
The researchers also considered whether historical attitudes toward women’s health might contribute to the differences identified in the study.
Women have historically faced stereotypes portraying them as more emotional or less reliable in describing their physical symptoms.
Although such assumptions are not medically justified, the research team suggested that elements of these attitudes may continue to influence some diagnostic experiences.
Shaista Tayabali, a patient representative involved in the research, drew attention to the scale of the gender differences.
She argued that the findings raise questions about whether older assumptions concerning women’s physical and psychological health continue to affect how symptoms are interpreted.
The study does not establish that every reported diagnostic error resulted from gender prejudice.
However, the pattern is consistent with concerns that gender-related assumptions may contribute to differences in clinical assessment.
Researchers say further investigation is needed to understand the mechanisms involved.
Men Also Experience Misdiagnosis — but the Pattern Differs
An important finding was that women did not report higher rates of every type of misdiagnosis.
Men were slightly more likely to report receiving an incorrect diagnosis of another physical illness.
Approximately 48% of men reported this experience, compared with 44% of women.
This suggests that diagnostic difficulties affect patients of both sexes.
The difference lies partly in the type of explanation initially given for their symptoms.
Women were more likely to report incorrect psychiatric or psychosomatic diagnoses.
Men were somewhat more likely to report an incorrect diagnosis involving a different physical condition.
The findings therefore highlight differences in diagnostic pathways rather than suggesting that autoimmune diseases are straightforward to diagnose in men.
Both groups may encounter delays, uncertainty and inappropriate treatment before their condition is correctly identified.
The Psychological Consequences of Being Misdiagnosed
The consequences of an incorrect diagnosis can extend beyond delayed treatment.
Researchers highlighted the potential impact on patients’ confidence, self-esteem and trust in healthcare professionals.
Living with persistent symptoms without a clear explanation can already be emotionally difficult.
When patients believe their physical complaints have been dismissed, the experience may create additional distress.
Some may become reluctant to seek further medical attention.
Others may question their own interpretation of symptoms, particularly if they have repeatedly been told that psychological factors are responsible.
Sloan emphasized that these experiences can have lasting consequences for women’s relationships with healthcare providers.
The research highlights the importance of respectful communication, particularly when the diagnosis remains uncertain.
A clinician may not immediately know what is causing a patient’s symptoms.
However, acknowledging that uncertainty is different from concluding prematurely that the symptoms have a psychological origin.
Rheumatology Expert: Psychiatric Diagnoses Are Not Always Wrong
The findings also require careful interpretation.
Professor David D’Cruz, a consultant rheumatologist at Guy’s Hospital in London, cautioned against assuming that psychiatric diagnoses are always incorrect in patients with autoimmune diseases.
Mental health conditions and autoimmune diseases can coexist.
Chronic illness may contribute to anxiety or depression, while some autoimmune conditions can directly affect the nervous system and produce neuropsychiatric symptoms.
A psychiatric diagnosis may therefore be clinically appropriate in some cases.
The important issue is whether a comprehensive assessment has adequately considered other possible causes.
D’Cruz emphasized the need for clinicians to remain alert to autoimmune disease when symptoms persist, evolve or involve multiple systems.
Rather than treating physical and psychological explanations as competing possibilities, doctors should consider the full clinical picture.
Why Autoimmune Diseases Are Particularly Difficult to Diagnose
Unlike some illnesses that can be identified through a single definitive test, autoimmune diseases often require a combination of clinical findings, medical history and laboratory investigations.
Symptoms may fluctuate.
Patients can experience periods of improvement followed by flare-ups.
Early blood tests may not always provide a conclusive answer.
Some autoimmune conditions also share symptoms with infections, endocrine disorders, neurological diseases and mental health conditions.
These complexities make careful follow-up essential.
When symptoms persist without an explanation, clinicians may need to reconsider earlier assessments or refer patients to appropriate specialists.
The study suggests that improving this process could help reduce diagnostic delays.
However, the findings do not imply that every patient with fatigue, pain or unexplained symptoms should undergo extensive autoimmune testing.
Investigations should be guided by clinical evidence and individual circumstances.
What the Findings Mean for Healthcare Systems
The research has implications for healthcare policy and clinical practice.
Improving the diagnosis of autoimmune diseases may require better communication between primary care physicians and specialists.
Patients with persistent or evolving symptoms may benefit from continuity of care and systematic reassessment.
Clinicians may also need additional training in recognizing conditions that present with vague or overlapping symptoms.
Another important consideration is the role of unconscious assumptions in medical decision-making.
The researchers’ findings suggest that healthcare systems should examine whether diagnostic practices produce different outcomes for men and women.
This does not mean replacing clinical judgment with assumptions based on gender.
It means ensuring that patients receive appropriate investigation and treatment according to their symptoms and medical needs.
Implications for Europe and Greece
Although most participants were based in the United Kingdom, the study raises questions relevant to healthcare systems across Europe.
Autoimmune diseases often require coordinated care involving general practitioners, rheumatologists, endocrinologists, neurologists and other specialists.
For Greece, the findings may encourage discussion about timely specialist referrals, continuity of care and equal access to diagnostic services.
However, the study’s percentages cannot automatically be applied to the Greek population.
The research was not designed to measure diagnostic practices in Greece, and it does not establish that the same gender differences occur at identical rates in the Greek healthcare system.
Its broader significance lies in identifying a potential source of inequality that healthcare researchers and policymakers may wish to investigate further.
What Patients Should Know About Persistent Symptoms
Persistent fatigue, unexplained pain, rashes, weakness or changes in weight can have many possible causes.
They do not necessarily indicate an autoimmune disease.
However, symptoms that continue, worsen or change over time deserve appropriate medical evaluation.
Keeping a record of symptoms, their duration and associated changes can help clinicians identify patterns.
Patients may also benefit from asking their healthcare professionals how a diagnosis was reached and whether further assessment is necessary.
When symptoms remain unexplained despite repeated consultations, seeking a second medical opinion may be appropriate.
The goal is not to dismiss psychological explanations automatically.
It is to ensure that physical and psychological possibilities are assessed carefully and that important medical conditions are not overlooked.
Study Limitations: What the Research Can and Cannot Prove
The researchers relied on participants’ own accounts of their diagnostic experiences.
This approach provides valuable insight into how patients remember and interpret their interactions with healthcare services.
However, self-reported information has limitations.
Responses may be affected by recall and by differences in how participants understand previous medical diagnoses.
The study also included substantially more women than men, and most respondents were from the United Kingdom.
As a result, the findings should not be treated as universally representative of every healthcare system.
The research identifies significant associations between sex and reported diagnostic experiences.
It does not prove that gender bias alone caused the observed differences.
Further research is needed to examine how clinical decisions are made and which interventions could reduce diagnostic inequalities.
The Cambridge Study’s Central Message: Listen Before Dismissing Symptoms
The new research highlights a fundamental challenge in modern medicine.
Autoimmune diseases can be difficult to recognize, particularly during their early stages.
Patients may experience symptoms that are real and disruptive even when initial investigations are inconclusive.
For women in the study, that uncertainty was more frequently associated with reported incorrect psychiatric or psychosomatic diagnoses.
The 74% higher adjusted odds of reporting an incorrect psychosomatic diagnosis is a significant finding that warrants further investigation.
Combined with longer reported diagnostic delays, it raises important questions about whether women and men receive equally effective diagnostic care.
The researchers emphasize the importance of listening carefully, recognizing uncertainty and revisiting earlier conclusions when new evidence emerges.
A diagnosis should be guided by a thorough assessment of the patient’s condition, not by assumptions about whether symptoms are physical or psychological.
For people living with autoimmune diseases, timely recognition can make an important difference to treatment, quality of life and long-term health.
And for healthcare systems, the findings offer a reminder that accurate diagnosis begins with taking patients’ symptoms seriously.
Source: pagenews.gr