Using the theory of communicative disenfranchisement to illuminate the nature and consequences of women's experiences with medical gaslighting as told through TikTok narratives.

Abstract

Women in the United States (U.S.) healthcare system often receive care that is subpar or inadequate in relation to the care received by their male counterparts. In particular, medical gaslighting appears to be a systemic issue for women, where their symptoms and concerns are often invalidated or outright dismissed by healthcare providers. Utilizing the theory of communicative disenfranchisement, this study used thematic analysis to qualitatively analyze a sample of 21 publicly available videos posted on TikTok by women who had been victims of medical gaslighting in the US. The three major themes in the videos were medical gaslighting as a power-laden process, disenfranchising consequences of medical gaslighting, and vindication through diagnosis. The findings of this study highlight the issues with medical gaslighting of women, and can help improve communication between providers and patients to ensure that adequate and appropriate healthcare is provided. Providers should listen to women as they explain their symptoms and experiences, even if those symptoms and experiences appear to be outside the bounds of evidence-based medicine.