Women with autoimmune diseases were more likely than men to report receiving psychiatric or psychosomatic explanations for their symptoms before obtaining an autoimmune diagnosis, according to new research led by the universities of Cambridge and East Anglia.
The University of Cambridge said the international cross-sectional study analysed the experiences of 6,607 people with autoimmune conditions. The findings appeared in the peer-reviewed journal eClinicalMedicine on 13 October 2026.
Women Report More Psychological Explanations
Among respondents, 43% of women said their autoimmune symptoms had previously been attributed to psychiatric causes, compared with 33% of men. A psychosomatic misdiagnosis was reported by 34% of women and 22% of men.
As reported by The Guardian, after adjustment for factors including age and disease group, women were approximately 74% more likely than men to report a psychosomatic misdiagnosis. That is a relative comparison, not a 74-percentage-point difference between the groups.
Psychosomatic explanations attribute physical symptoms to psychological factors. The researchers cautioned that psychiatric and autoimmune conditions can coexist, and the study did not independently reassess every earlier clinical judgement.
Different Experiences of Diagnostic Delay
The most frequently reported time to diagnosis was under three months for men, compared with one to two years for women. These were the most common reported time ranges, not average waiting times for every participant.
Autoimmune illnesses can involve symptoms such as fatigue and pain that may initially be difficult to explain. Researchers said this uncertainty can complicate diagnosis, particularly when symptoms are not visible or standard tests are inconclusive.
Researchers Urge Reassessment of Persistent Symptoms
The published study examined patient-reported diagnostic experiences rather than establishing the cause of every difference between women and men. Its cross-sectional design cannot demonstrate that clinician bias caused individual delays.
Study researcher Dr Melanie Sloan said psychological explanations may sometimes be given too early. The team urged clinicians to listen carefully to patients, acknowledge uncertainty, and reconsider earlier assessments when symptoms persist or new evidence emerges.
The findings point to differences in reported diagnostic experiences and support closer examination of how autoimmune conditions are recognised. They do not mean that every mental health diagnosis given to a patient with autoimmune disease was incorrect.
