Women with autoimmune disease at high misdiagnosis risk
Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 13 Oct, 05:32 · Archive
Women with autoimmune diseases are nearly 50% more likely than men to be misdiagnosed with mental health conditions.
A study led by the University of East Anglia and Cambridge has found that women with autoimmune diseases are nearly 50% more likely than men to report having received a psychiatric misdiagnosis. Women are almost 75% more likely to report a psychosomatic misdiagnosis. The researchers noted that autoimmune diseases, which cause the immune system to attack the body's own tissues, often present with non-specific symptoms such as fatigue and pain.
Dr Melanie Sloan from UEA's Norwich Medical School and the University of Cambridge said that patients with autoimmune diseases can present with symptoms that can be difficult to explain medically, and sometimes it can take months or years before a diagnosis becomes clear. 'Our findings highlight that psychological or mental health explanations can be given too soon,' she said. 'This is true for both sexes, but our study suggests that females may be particularly vulnerable to these types of misdiagnoses.'
Women reported longer diagnostic delays than men, with the most commonly reported timeframe being one to two years before receiving a correct diagnosis.
How it is being reported
- Women with autoimmune disease nearly 50pc more likely to report misdiagnosisWomen are being misdiagnosed with mental health conditions when they actually have autoimmune diseases, a study has revealed.Eastern Daily Press · 13 Oct, 05:00
- Women with autoimmune disease nearly 50pc more likely to report misdiagnosisWomen are being misdiagnosed with mental health conditions when they actually have autoimmune diseases, a study has revealed.Norwich Evening News · 13 Oct, 05:00
In this story: University of East Anglia · Cambridge · Dr Melanie Sloan · Norwich Medical School
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