Sasang Constitution May Act as a Risk Factor for Depressive Symptoms-A Survey for Local Residence

Area of Science:

• Integrative and Complementary Medicine
• Psychiatry
• Genetics

Background:

• Sasang constitution (SC) is a traditional Korean medicine typology.
• Depressive symptoms are a significant global health concern.
• Understanding constitutional predispositions may aid in personalized mental healthcare.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between Sasang constitution (SC) and depressive symptoms.
• To identify if specific SC types are risk factors for depression.

Main Methods:

• Classified 653 participants into Taeeumin (TE), Soeumin (SE), and Soyangin (SY) using the KS-15 questionnaire.
• Assessed depressive symptoms using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale.
• Employed t-tests, chi-square tests, ANOVA, and multiple logistic regression for analysis.

Main Results:

• The Soeumin (SE) group exhibited significantly higher depressive symptom scores than Soyangin (SY) and Taeeumin (TE) groups (p < 0.001).
• SE was associated with increased odds of depressive symptoms compared to SY (OR: 2.315) and TE (OR: 1.660), even after adjustments.
• A further analysis showed SE had higher odds for depressive symptoms compared to SY (OR: 2.907).

Conclusions:

• Sasang constitution (SC), particularly the Soeumin (SE) type, is significantly associated with depressive symptoms.
• SE may be considered a potential risk factor for the development of depressive symptoms.
• Findings suggest the utility of SC in personalized approaches to mental health assessment and intervention.