Association between traditional Chinese medicine constitution and depression in adolescents: A cross-sectional study

Traditional Chinese medicine believes that constitution determines individuals' susceptibility to different health conditions. Previous studies have confirmed the correlation between traditional Chinese medicine constitution (TCMC) and various physical diseases and psychological disorders. However, there is limited research examining the relationship between TCMC and depression in adolescents. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 5955 adolescents aged 14 to 24 years from a vocational technical school in China. The participants completed self-report questionnaires. The TCMC questionnaire was used to assess participants' constitutions based on 9 different types: balanced constitution, Qi-stagnation constitution, blood-stasis constitution, Qi-deficiency constitution, Yin-deficiency constitution (YIDC), Yang-deficiency constitution (YADC), Phlegm-dampness constitution (PDC), Damp-heat constitution (DHC) and Inherited special constitution (ISC). Depression was accessed using the Self-rating depression scale (SDS). After accounting for confounding factors, balanced constitution were significantly associated with a lower prevalence of depression (odds ratio [OR] = 0.83, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.72-0.94; P = .004). Meanwhile, Qi-deficiency constitution (OR = 1.68, 95% CI: 1.39-2.03; P <.001) and Qi-stagnation constitution (OR = 2.53, 95% CI: 2.00-3.23; P <.001) were independently associated with a higher prevalence of depression. Moreover, the associations were also identified by the propensity score matching method. Our findings suggest a significant relationship between TCMC and depression in adolescents. Further research is needed to better understand whether these constitutional factors may contribute to or influence the development of depression during adolescence. Integrating Constitution in Chinese Medicine Questionnaire into clinical assessments may provide valuable insights for identifying at-risk individuals and guiding personalized treatments for depression in adolescents.