Study Finds Women Face Longer Delays and Misdiagnoses in Autoimmune Care
- Women diagnosed with autoimmune conditions face significantly longer diagnostic delays and higher rates of psychiatric misattribution than men, according to a cross-sectional international study published online October 12,...
- The study evaluated 6,607 participants with autoimmune diseases, consisting of 91.2 percent female respondents and 87.8 percent White respondents.
- According to the findings, female participants reported significantly more healthcare provider visits and prolonged spans between initial symptom onset and a confirmed diagnosis compared to male participants.
Women diagnosed with autoimmune conditions face significantly longer diagnostic delays and higher rates of psychiatric misattribution than men, according to a cross-sectional international study published online October 12, 2026, in eClinicalMedicine and detailed by HealthDay News and Drugs.com.
Female Autoimmune Patients Report Longer Delays and More Doctor Visits
The study evaluated 6,607 participants with autoimmune diseases, consisting of 91.2 percent female respondents and 87.8 percent White respondents. Researchers from Cambridge University in the United Kingdom captured elements of the diagnostic process that do not typically appear in routine medical records.
According to the findings, female participants reported significantly more healthcare provider visits and prolonged spans between initial symptom onset and a confirmed diagnosis compared to male participants.
Psychiatric Misattributions Overrepresented Among Women
When examining diagnostic errors, the study found a sharp divergence based on sex regarding how symptoms were initially categorized. Women reported having their autoimmune conditions attributed to psychiatric causes at a rate of 43.3 percent, compared to 32.7 percent for men. Similarly, 33.9 percent of women reported psychosomatic misattributions, versus 21.5 percent of men.
Conversely, more men reported misdiagnoses involving another physical disease at 47.6 percent, compared to 43.5 percent for women, though that specific difference lacked statistical significance. Disease group emerged as a strong predictor of perceived psychiatric and psychosomatic misdiagnoses.
After adjusting for disease group alone, women maintained significantly higher odds of reporting mental health-related and psychosomatic misdiagnoses, with odds ratios of 1.56 and 1.87, respectively. When researchers further adjusted the data for age, continent, and household financial situation, the odds ratios remained elevated at 1.46 for psychiatric misdiagnoses and 1.74 for psychosomatic misdiagnoses.
Researchers Warn Against Premature Psychological Explanations
Melanie Sloan, Ph.D., lead researcher from Cambridge University, addressed the clinical implications of the data in a published statement.
Our findings highlight that psychological or mental health explanations can be given too soon. This is true for both sexes, but our study suggests that females may be particularly vulnerable to these types of misdiagnoses.
Melanie Sloan
Two authors of the study disclosed financial or professional ties to the biopharmaceutical industry. The research paper, titled Abstract/Full Text
, is accessible via DOI: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2026.104259.