Lerario, Mackenzie P, Fusunyan, Mark, Stave, Christopher D et al. · Journal of psychosomatic research · 2023 · DOI
This study reviewed published research on functional neurological disorders and related conditions (like fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome) in sexual and gender minority people. Researchers found only 26 studies on this topic, most of which were small case reports or one-time surveys. The review found that transgender people may experience these conditions more often than cisgender people, and some patients improved when they received gender-affirming care.
For ME/CFS patients, this review highlights an underexplored intersection between functional somatic syndromes and gender identity, suggesting that SGM status may be associated with disease prevalence or presentation. Understanding whether ME/CFS is overrepresented in SGM populations—and whether identity-affirming care influences outcomes—could inform more personalized treatment approaches and identify potential psychosocial contributors to symptom severity.
This scoping review does not establish causation or prove that gender minority status causes functional disorders; it only describes existing published literature, most of which comprises small case reports. The review cannot determine whether observed associations reflect true epidemiological differences, diagnostic bias, healthcare access disparities, or publication bias. The limited and heterogeneous data prevent conclusions about ME/CFS specifically or the mechanisms linking gender identity to functional symptoms.
About the PEM badge: “PEM required” means post-exertional malaise was an explicit required diagnostic criterion for participant inclusion in this study — not that PEM was studied, observed, or discussed. Studies using criteria that do not require PEM (e.g. Fukuda, Oxford) are tagged “PEM not required”. How the atlas works →
Spotted an error in this entry? Report it →