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03/31/26

"Although I'm mentally ill, that doesn't mean that I'm not also physically ill" - barriers, facilitators and diagnostic overshadowing in healthcare for individuals with lived experience of mental ill-health.

Schäfer, Katrin; Mües, Hanna M; Wrzesińska, Magdalena Agnieszka; Kostyła, Magdalena; Rakoczy, Jarosław; Gomez Trenado, Rosa; Fernández García, Cristina; Pisano González, Marta; Mancebo Salas, Noelia; Gogos, Thanos; Zioga, Ioanna; Radaios, Vasiliki; Gil-Salmeron, Alejandro; Grabovac, Igor. Front Public Health.

Collection Topics
Equity, Access, and Timeliness
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Summary

People with lived experience of mental ill-health (PWLE) encounter health care inequities, including stigma, discrimination, and diagnostic overshadowing. This interview study examines factors affecting the experience of PWLE across four European health systems. Three key themes emerged from the analysis highlighting systemic, personal, and diagnostic shadowing influences affecting PWLE care. Across all countries represented, patients reported not being taken seriously and facing stigma and discrimination in healthcare settings.

Read the paper
Schäfer K, Mües HM, Wrzesińska MA, et al. "Although I'm mentally ill, that doesn't mean that I'm not also physically ill" - barriers, facilitators and diagnostic overshadowing in healthcare for individuals with lived experience of mental ill-health. Front Public Health. 2026;14:1739409.