Psychological Impact of Medical Gaslighting on Women: A Systematic Review

Abstract

This systematic review aimed to evaluate the experiences of medical gaslighting in women. Medical gaslighting is used to describe the dismissive, invalidating, and biased experiences of people with the healthcare system that result in frustration, doubt, and feelings of isolation. Women have significantly negative experiences with healthcare providers when seeking diagnosis and/or treatment, which defines how they signify their experiences as medical gaslighting. To conduct the review, Google Scholar, JSTOR, PubMed, ScienceDirect, Semantic Scholar, Psychology of Health, Jacobs Health Institute of Women, and Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis were explored with the keywords of medical gaslighting, women's health, and healthcare experiences of women. 10 articles were selected for the systematic review after data extraction based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Seven themes emerged from the selected articles: 1) denial and dismissal of symptoms 2) delayed diagnosis 3) negative experiences with healthcare professionals 4) gender bias in healthcare 5) the need for self-advocacy 6) stigmatization of mental health by healthcare professionals 7) anxiety and trauma. The experiences of women with the healthcare system are overwhelmingly negative and encompassed in medical gaslighting, leading to the worsening of health conditions. The healthcare system requires many reforms, starting with decreasing gender biases in hospitals, healthcare providers and research.