Women with Autoimmune Diseases Were Nearly 50% More Likely Than Men to Report Being Given a Psychiatric Misdiagnosis

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Ron Lach | Pexels Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share on Pocket Women living with autoimmune diseases were almost 50% more likely than men to say their symptoms had once been blamed on a mental health condition, according to a survey of 6,607 patients published Oct. 12 in the Lancet journal eClinicalMedicine. Researchers from the University of Cambridge and the University of East Anglia led the study.

The gap showed up in the raw numbers, too. Among women, 43% reported that their symptoms had been attributed to a psychiatric cause, compared with 33% of men, according to News-Medical. Women were also nearly 75% more likely to report being told their symptoms were psychosomatic, at 34% compared with 22% of men.

For patients, a misdiagnosis is not just frustrating. It can mean months or years without treatment for a disease that may be damaging joints, skin, nerves, or organs. The findings come from patients’ own reports of their diagnostic journeys, not from medical records, so they show what patients experienced rather than confirmed errors.

The most common reported time to a correct diagnosis was under three months for men but one to two years for women, according to MDLinx. About 32% of women waited four years or more, compared with 26% of men, and 26% of women reported 11 or more health care visits before getting answers, compared with 18% of men.

Men also reported misdiagnoses. About 48% of men and 44% of women said they had been told they had a different physical disease, a difference that was not statistically significant. The gap was in the type of wrong explanation, with women more often steered toward mental health causes.

The 50% and 75% figures came after the researchers adjusted for age, type of disease, continent of residence and household finances. That makes it less likely the gap simply reflects those differences, though it cannot rule out every other factor.

“Our findings highlight that psychological or mental health explanations can be given too soon,” said Dr. Melanie Sloan of the University of Cambridge’s Department of Public Health and Primary Care, as quoted by News-Medical. Shaista Tayabali, a patient partner and co-author, said that “as women we still often have a harder time having our symptoms believed and therefore addressed accurately,” PhillyVoice reported.

The study was a cross-sectional survey of adults with clinically confirmed autoimmune or inflammatory rheumatic diseases, conducted from December 2024 to March 2025. It captured participants’ experiences at one point in time. Participants described their own symptom histories, the explanations they were given, and how long diagnosis took. People who had a difficult experience may have been more motivated to take part, and memories of past appointments can blur over time.

About 91% of participants were women, and about 70% lived in the United Kingdom, according to a summary of the survey of adults with autoimmune disease. The most common condition was autoimmune thyroid disease, and the group also included people with rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, vasculitis, type 1 diabetes, and inflammatory bowel disease. U.S. readers should treat the results as a signal that matches long-standing patient concerns, not as a precise measure of what happens in American clinics.

The study does not explain why the gap exists. Many autoimmune conditions have symptoms that come and go, such as fatigue, pain, brain fog or numbness, which can be difficult to explain medically at first, Sloan said.

Funding came from patient charities, including the Lupus Trust, Vasculitis UK, Sjögren’s UK, Lupus UK and Scleroderma & Raynaud’s UK, according to pharmaphorum.

Psychiatric symptoms can be real and still be part of an autoimmune disease. Professor David D’Cruz, a consultant rheumatologist at Guy’s Hospital in London, noted that psychiatric symptoms can be a natural response to living with a serious illness and can also be part of the disease itself, especially in lupus. “This is not about saying that a psychiatric diagnosis is never correct,” he said, according to MDLinx. The concern is when a mental health explanation ends the search for a physical cause too early.

Patients can keep a dated symptom log that notes joint pain, rashes, fevers, fatigue, numbness, vision changes, and any pattern of flares. Photos of rashes or swelling can help when symptoms are gone by appointment day. Family history of autoimmune disease is also worth sharing. Bringing a partner, relative, or friend to appointments can help, since a second person can describe changes they have noticed and take notes.

It is reasonable to ask a clinician directly what else could explain the symptoms, whether blood tests for inflammation or autoantibodies make sense, and whether a referral to a rheumatologist or another specialist is appropriate. Patients who feel unheard can seek a second opinion. Copies of lab results and visit notes, available through most patient portals, make it easier to share a full history with a new doctor.

Sudden weakness, vision loss, chest pain, trouble breathing or confusion need urgent care regardless of any previous diagnosis. For other symptoms that persist, a full medical workup is reasonable, and the study suggests women may need to push harder to get one.

Women with autoimmune diseases were almost 50% more likely than men to report a psychiatric misdiagnosis and nearly 75% more likely to report a psychosomatic one, after adjusting for age, disease, region, and finances.

The survey included 6,607 adults with autoimmune or inflammatory rheumatic diseases. Results were published in eClinicalMedicine.

Does this prove doctors misdiagnosed women?

No. The study relied on patients’ own accounts, not medical records, so it reflects reported experiences rather than verified diagnostic errors.

The most common reported wait was under three months for men and one to two years for women. About 32% of women waited four years or more.

Autoimmune thyroid disease was the most common, and participants also had conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, vasculitis, type 1 diabetes, and inflammatory bowel disease.

What can patients do if symptoms are dismissed?

Keep a dated symptom log with photos, share family history, ask what else could explain the symptoms, and request a specialist referral or second opinion when needed.