OBJECTIVES: Stigmatized conditions may be underdiagnosed and undertreated (e.g., mental health conditions, skin conditions, sexually transmitted diseases, etc.). The stigmatization and shame that individuals with stigmatized conditions experience may act as a barrier to proper diagnosis and treatment uptake. We assessed the prevalence of missed diagnosis and poor treatment uptake across a variety of stigmatized treatment areas.

METHODS: Data from the 2022 US National Health and Wellness Survey, a cross-sectional, nationally representative, general population survey, were used to identify the prevalence of the following four cohorts within each stigmatized treatment area assessed: undiagnosed, diagnosed, treated, and untreated.

RESULTS: Analyses included 75,261 respondents. Among those who self-reported depression (N=16,896; 22.4%), only 63.6% (N=10,754) were diagnosed with depression, whereas 36.4% (N=6,142) were undiagnosed. Among those who were diagnosed with depression, only 61.8% (N=6,643) were treated for it, whereas 38.2% (N=4111) remained untreated. Among those who self-reported psoriasis (N=4,631; 6.2%), only 42.6% (N=1,974) were diagnosed with psoriasis, whereas 57.4% (N=2,657) were undiagnosed. Among those who were diagnosed with psoriasis, only 47.6% (N=940) were treated for it, whereas 52.4% (N=1,034) remained untreated. Among those who self-reported chronic constipation (N=4,434; 5.8%), only 34.0% (N=1,476) were diagnosed with chronic constipation, whereas 66.0% (N=2,867) were undiagnosed. Among those who were diagnosed with chronic constipation, only 41.5% (N=612) were treated for it, whereas 58.5% (N=864) remained untreated. Similarly high proportions of undiagnosed and untreated individuals were also observed in many other stigmatized treatment areas.

CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that a large proportion of individuals remain undiagnosed or untreated for many stigmatized conditions. Future studies may quantify the extent to which stigmatization (i.e., shame) versus other factors (e.g., transportation, income, health literacy) act as barriers to diagnosis and treatment uptake for individuals with stigmatized conditions.