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Females with autoimmune diseases are significantly more likely than males to have their autoimmune disease misdiagnosed as a psychiatric or psychosomatic condition, according to a study of more than 6,600 patients.

In an international study published in eClinicalMedicine, researchers analyzed the reported diagnostic experiences of 6,607 people with autoimmune diseases. The research, led by the University of Cambridge and University of East Anglia (UEA), also found that females were more likely to face delays in getting a correct diagnosis, and hence the right treatment.

The study found that 43% of females reported that their autoimmune symptoms had previously been misattributed to a psychiatric cause, compared with 33% of males. They were also more likely to report having their symptoms misdiagnosed as being psychosomatic—in other words, that physical symptoms were caused or worsened by psychological factors—with this reported by 34% of females compared with 22% of males.

Autoimmune diseases occur when the immune system mistakenly attacks the body's own tissues. They include conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and multiple sclerosis. Many autoimmune diseases are more common in females.

Diagnosis can be challenging because many autoimmune diseases initially cause symptoms such as fatigue, pain, sleep disturbance or low mood, which are common in the general population. Symptoms can also affect multiple parts of the body and change over time.

After taking account of factors including age, disease group, continent and household finances, the researchers found that females were almost 50% more likely to report having received a psychiatric misdiagnosis and nearly 75% more likely to report a psychosomatic misdiagnosis than males.

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