New study on chronic health conditions asks women to share experiences

Ottoline Spearman

A new study is looking for women to share their experiences of being diagnosed with chronic health conditions.

Researchers at University College Cork are recruiting women who have been diagnosed with long-term illnesses, such as endometriosis, migraines, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, and mast cell activation syndrome.

The project will look at whether certain conditions are being diagnosed at a later stage, due to some doctors dismissing women's symptoms - what researchers have described as "medical gaslighting".

The research will explore issues including diagnostic delays, patient-doctor interactions, and how women use symptom-tracking apps to document and share their experiences with healthcare professionals.

Speaking on Newstalk, Jenny Cooney-Quane from UCC's School of Applied Psychology said: "What we're seeing is time and time again, women are experiencing their pain symptoms being minimized or other symptoms being put down to anxiety or depression or stress.

"We're seeing it with our own study, which we're still recruiting for, but we're also seeing it across patient advocacy groups, patient support groups, patient forums and things like that.

"So it does seem to be widespread."

The survey is now open to participants aged 18 and over, who have a diagnosis of one or more of the listed conditions, and who sought diagnosis in Ireland.