Presentation Information
[SY-89-04]Traditional Oriental Medicine and Mental Health Care: Toward Integration and Evidence-Based Practice
*Katsuomi Yoshida1 (1. Kanagawa Psychiatric Center (Japan))
Keywords:
Medicine,Traditional,Mind-Body Relations,Metaphysical,Acupuncture Therapy,Phytotherapy,Integrative Medicine
Mental health care is increasingly drawing from both modern psychiatry and traditional medicine. While earlier psychiatric models emphasized mind-body dualism by separating mental and physical causes, recent diagnostic frameworks such as the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), and the International Classification of Diseases, Eleventh Revision (ICD-11), reflect a shift toward mind-body unity. This transition highlights the need for integrative approaches that address psychological problems beyond the limitations of dualism.
Oriental medicine, including Kampo in Japan and Korean medicine, which is rooted in Chinese traditions, has long conceptualized health through the principles of Qi, Yin-Yang balance, and the Five Elements. These frameworks are applied clinically via pathological pattern recognition (Sho), which guides individualized therapeutic strategies. Based on Sho, practitioners prescribe interventions such as herbal medicine and acupuncture. Herbal medicine has demonstrated some clinical evidence, yet methodological challenges in standardization and statistical analysis remain. By contrast, acupuncture has accumulated more substantial evidence. The World Health Organization (WHO) officially recognized 361 acupoints in 2008, and recent systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and randomized controlled trials have demonstrated efficacy particularly in depression, insomnia, and anxiety disorders. The Canadian Network for Mood and Anxiety Treatments (CANMAT) guidelines now recommend acupuncture, and neurobiological studies have revealed mechanisms involving neurotransmitter regulation, brain connectivity, autonomic balance, and immune modulation.
In Japan, the Kanagawa Psychiatric Center developed the K-Style Acupuncture Score (KSAS) to establish a standardized “common language” between psychiatry and acupuncture. This initiative has expanded into the Acupuncture and Psychological Supporters Network (APNET), fostering collaboration between psychiatrists, acupuncturists, and allied professionals.
The integration of Oriental medicine into modern psychiatry presents a promising framework for expanding therapeutic options, fostering a shared understanding, and improving both individual well-being and public mental health.
Oriental medicine, including Kampo in Japan and Korean medicine, which is rooted in Chinese traditions, has long conceptualized health through the principles of Qi, Yin-Yang balance, and the Five Elements. These frameworks are applied clinically via pathological pattern recognition (Sho), which guides individualized therapeutic strategies. Based on Sho, practitioners prescribe interventions such as herbal medicine and acupuncture. Herbal medicine has demonstrated some clinical evidence, yet methodological challenges in standardization and statistical analysis remain. By contrast, acupuncture has accumulated more substantial evidence. The World Health Organization (WHO) officially recognized 361 acupoints in 2008, and recent systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and randomized controlled trials have demonstrated efficacy particularly in depression, insomnia, and anxiety disorders. The Canadian Network for Mood and Anxiety Treatments (CANMAT) guidelines now recommend acupuncture, and neurobiological studies have revealed mechanisms involving neurotransmitter regulation, brain connectivity, autonomic balance, and immune modulation.
In Japan, the Kanagawa Psychiatric Center developed the K-Style Acupuncture Score (KSAS) to establish a standardized “common language” between psychiatry and acupuncture. This initiative has expanded into the Acupuncture and Psychological Supporters Network (APNET), fostering collaboration between psychiatrists, acupuncturists, and allied professionals.
The integration of Oriental medicine into modern psychiatry presents a promising framework for expanding therapeutic options, fostering a shared understanding, and improving both individual well-being and public mental health.