Date of Award

Spring 5-16-2026

Document Type

Honors Project

University Scholars Director

Dr. Joshua Tom

First Advisor/Committee Member

Dr. Heidi Monroe

Keywords

gaslighting, women, healthcare, nursing

Abstract

Background: The idea of “medical gaslighting” has been present since 1969, but it has increased in popularity in the recent century. Women in particular are at increased risk of being dismissed by their healthcare providers, as throughout history they have been deemed “hysterical” or untrustworthy when recounting their symptoms.

Methods: Articles were compiled from CINAHL Complete, Google Scholar, and the University of Washington library. A total of 33 articles were chosen and reviewed.

Results: Medical gaslighting results in lasting medical trauma, a decreased quality of life and detachment from standard healthcare. Six themes were recurrent in the papers utilized: sexism, the research gap, women of color, uterine diseases, obstetrics and gynecology, and chronic illnesses. Many of these themes have historic foundations that are still present today.

Conclusion: Patient-centered care, cultural humility and active listening are all ways for providers to ensure that they are not gaslighting their patients. Female patients might benefit from bringing someone with them to their appointments or requesting a second opinion. Education and awareness can help resolve the issue, but ultimately it is a systemic and societal error.

Comments

A project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the Bachelor of Arts degree in Honors Liberal Arts

Copyright Status

http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Additional Rights Information

Copyright held by author.

Download

Included in

Nursing Commons

Share

COinS
 
Copyright Status