{
  "id": 14113745,
  "title": "Women ‘more likely to be told autoimmune conditions are psychological’",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/13/women-more-likely-to-be-told-autoimmune-conditions-are-psychological",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-10-13T04:00:14.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Guardian Health",
    "slug": "guardian-health",
    "url": "https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/oct/13/women-autoimmune-conditions-psychological-misdiagnosis-cambridge-study"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A recent study from Cambridge University and the University of East Anglia has revealed significant disparities in the diagnosis and handling of autoimmune conditions, with women being more than twice as likely to face misdiagnoses. The research, published in Lancet eClinicalMedicine, indicates that women with autoimmune conditions, which affect about one in 10 people globally, are up to 74% more likely to be told their symptoms are psychological or psychosomatic compared to men. This discrepancy in diagnoses can lead to lengthy delays in treatment and negatively impact women's trust in medical professionals and their self-esteem. Lead author Melanie Sloan emphasized the lasting damage caused by such misdiagnoses, noting that it can take years for women to receive a correct diagnosis, causing delays in vital treatment. The study, which involved over 6,600 participants with autoimmune conditions primarily from the UK, found that nearly one in seven women had autoimmune thyroid disease, such as Hashimoto’s or Graves’ disease, while one in seven men faced rheumatoid arthritis or antiphospholipid syndrome. Women were 43% more likely to report their conditions were attributed to psychiatric causes and 34% more likely to have symptoms misdiagnosed as psychosomatic compared to men. The average time to diagnosis for men was less than three months, while women faced a two-year wait. Researchers suggested that historical biases and perceived emotional reporting from women may contribute to these disparities, urging doctors to approach symptoms with greater empathy and open-mindedness.",
  "summary": "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. Hundreds of millions of people – about one in 10 globally – are affected by…",
  "key_points": [
    "Women with autoimmune conditions are 74% more likely to be told symptoms are psychological.",
    "Delayed diagnosis leads to treatment delays and impacts women's trust in medical professionals.",
    "Study of over 6,600 participants finds women face longer wait times for correct diagnosis."
  ],
  "editors_take": "Gendered biases in medical assessments force women to endure years of delayed treatment as doctors increasingly misattribute their physical autoimmune symptoms to psychological or psychosomatic causes.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Guardian Science",
        "title": "Women ‘more likely to be told autoimmune conditions are psychological’",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/13/women-more-likely-to-be-told-autoimmune-conditions-are-psychological-14119921",
        "published": "2026-10-13T04:00:14.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}