Draft:Neuropsychiatry of Korean Medicine

In 1970, The Society of Korean Medicine Neuropsychiatry, the first academic organization serving as the foundation for this field, was established.^[1]

The official board-certification system for Korean Medicine specialties was legally established under the Medical Service Act and its presidential decree in 1999, with the first official examinations conducted in 2002. To become a board-certified specialist in this field, a licensed Korean Medicine Doctor must complete a four-year postgraduate clinical training program, which consists of a one-year internship and a three-year residency in an accredited university hospital or training hospital.^[2]

In South Korea's dual medical system, neuropsychiatrists of Korean Medicine hold official authorities such as issuing medical certificates for dementia under the National Long-Term Care Insurance and participating in public health initiatives like the Korean Medicine Senior Health Promotion Program (KSHPP).^[3]

The academic foundation of the specialty is based on the psychosomatic approach. Key principles include:

• Simsin-ilyeo (心身一如): The principle that the body and mind are inseparable, meaning physical diseases can cause psychological symptoms, and emotional stagnation can manifest as physical illness.
• Seven Emotions (七情): Traditional etiology attributes mental distress to the dysregulation of seven core emotions (joy, anger, worry, thought, sadness, fear, and shock).
• Sasang Typology: Diagnostic and therapeutic decisions are tailored according to the patient's psychophysiological constitution, using standardized tools such as the Sasang Personality Questionnaire (SPQ).^[4]

Common diagnoses treated within this field include major depressive disorder, anxiety disorders, insomnia, ADHD, tic disorders, and neurocognitive disorders such as mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia. It also covers cultural idioms of distress, most notably Hwabyung (anger syndrome, coded as U22.2 under the Korean Standard Classification of Diseases).^[5]

Neuropsychiatric treatment in Korean medicine focuses on alleviating problematic neuropsychiatric symptoms by utilizing traditional korean medical tools such as acupuncture, moxibustion, Pharmacopuncture, and herbal medicine. There are also counseling methods based on traditional Korean medicine, which primarily involve changing the other person's focus through words, controlling emotions with emotions, or boosting self-confidence.

• Korean neuropsychiatric counseling techniques: Includes standardized traditional cognitive-behavioral techniques derived from classical literature
  • Ijeong-byeongi therapy (移精變氣療法): Cognitive distraction, emotional transference, and environmental modification to shift psychological distress.
  • Gyeongja-pyeongji therapy (驚者平之療法): Systematic desensitization and habituation protocols for trauma, panic, and startle responses.
  • Ji-eon-go-ron therapy (至言高論療法): Cognitive restructuring through structured counseling, logical persuasion, and therapeutic alliance.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare, through the Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine (KIOM) and the National Clearinghouse for Korean Medicine Clinical Practice Guidelines, funds the development of National Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs) for major disorders treated in this specialty, including Hwabyung, insomnia, and depression, to establish evidence-based standards.^[6]

• Traditional Korean medicine
• Neuropsychiatry
• Sasang constitutional medicine