Review Functional neurological disorder and functional somatic syndromes among sexual and gender minority people: A scoping review 2023 Lerario, Perez et al

Objective
To describe the current literature on functional neurological disorder and functional somatic syndromes among sexual and gender minority people (SGM).

Methods
A search string with descriptors of SGM identity and functional disorders was entered into PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, PsycInfo, and CINAHL for articles published before May 24, 2022, yielding 3121 items entered into Covidence, where 835 duplicates were removed. A neurologist and neuropsychiatrist screened titles and abstracts based on predefined criteria, followed by full-text review. A third neurologist adjudicated discrepancies. Eligible publications underwent systematic data extraction and statistical description.

Results
Our search identified 26 articles on functional disorders among SGM people. Most articles were case (13/26, 46%) or cross-sectional (4/26, 15%) studies. Gender minority people were represented in 50% of studies. Reported diagnoses included fibromyalgia (n = 8), functional neurological disorder (n = 8), somatic symptom disorder (n = 5), chronic fatigue syndrome (n = 3), irritable bowel syndrome (n = 2), and other functional conditions (n = 3). Three cohort studies of fibromyalgia or somatic symptom disorder reported an overrepresentation of gender minority people compared to cisgender cohorts or general population measures. Approximately half of case studies reported pediatric or adolescent onset (7/13, 54%), functional neurological disorder diagnosis (7/13, 54%), and symptom improvement coinciding with identity-affirming therapeutic interventions (7/13, 58%).

Conclusion
Despite a methodologically rigorous literature search, there are limited data on functional neurological disorder and functional somatic syndromes among SGM people. Several studies reported increased prevalence of select conditions among transgender people. More observational studies are needed regarding the epidemiology and clinical course of functional disorders among SGM people.

Paywall, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022399923003483

 

Wait wait this is just homophobia and transphobia???

Why did someone decide "we need to find out whether these illnesses we don't believe in are more common in the gays"???

 

Yeah @Sarah94 they are really dusting off this old mouldy chestnut. Never too late to re-launch a campaign of discrimination and destruction against an already marginalised minority population.

 

Why is it necessary to stigmatise and belittle a group as a minority? It is a universal aspect of humanity and always has been (also other species, some of which have fascinating variation from the normative-assumed definitive binary).

Again with the diagnostic creep. I guess the more they keep including these diagnoses in their framework, the more this literature will be redundant when their various biological bases are demonstrated.

Keeping on saying it, as if there's any evidence or even internal logical consistency.

It is interesting isn't it? Any possibility your research has any role in this? I do agree that "existing research may be limited" though. Limited by poor methodology, claims not supported by evidence etc.

I might have expected a move away from using the term "conversion disorder" in the rest of the paper.

But they do recognise the limits of the literature —

Eg —

Yep, that was definitely causation.

Alternatively though —