‘I still can’t forget those words’: mixed methods study of the persisting impact on patients reporting psychosomatic and psychiatric misdiagnoses
Authors' conclusion
Patient-reported psychosomatic and psychiatric (mis)diagnoses are associated with persisting adverse impacts in multiple domains including mental health, medical relationships, self-worth, and some healthcare behaviours.
Study context
- Population
- Patients with systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases (SARDs) in two cohortstwo cohorts: N = 1543 and N = 1853
- Comparison
- Patients reporting psychosomatic and/or psychiatric misdiagnoses vs patients reporting no psychosomatic or psychiatric misdiagnoses
- Outcome
- Persisting impacts of perceived psychosomatic and psychiatric misdiagnoses
Methodological detailstwo SARDs cohorts, validated instruments and patient-designed questions, comparative tests, thematic analysis of qualitative data
- Two SARDs cohorts
- Validated instruments and patient-designed questions
- Comparative tests
- Thematic analysis of qualitative data
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Reported that it had damaged their self-worth
>80%
Reported that it still upset them
72%
Further findings
| Outcome | P value |
|---|---|
| Healthcare behavioursMisdiagnoses reported vs No misdiagnoses · significantly higher likelihood of under-reporting symptoms | P < 0.001 |
| Healthcare behavioursMisdiagnoses reported vs No misdiagnoses · significantly higher likelihood of healthcare avoidance | P = 0.012 |
| Healthcare behavioursMisdiagnoses reported vs No misdiagnoses · no association with medication adherence | P = 0.2 |
Healthcare behaviours
- Qualitative: symptom under-reporting and healthcare avoidance often resulted from distrust and fear that symptoms would be disbelieved and misattributed again
Original publication
‘I still can’t forget those words’: mixed methods study of the persisting impact on patients reporting psychosomatic and psychiatric misdiagnoses. Rheumatology (Oxford). Published 3 March 2025. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →