Missed, Minimized, and Misread: The Systemic Failure to Identify Co-Occurring Disorders in Women
Women with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders wait, on average, significantly longer than men to receive an accurate dual diagnosis—a gap that cannot be explained by symptom differences alone. Behind the statistics are clinician assumptions, diagnostic tools calibrated on male populations, and structural barriers that make it far harder for women to reach the point of integrated care. For the women living inside this gap, the consequences range from years of inadequate treatm
