Relationships among classifications of ayurvedic medicine diagnostics for imbalances and western measures of psychological states: An exploratory study

Paul J Mills; Christine Tara Peterson; Kathleen L Wilson; Meredith A Pung; Sheila Patel; Lizabeth Weiss; Suhas G Kshirsagar; Rudolph E Tanzi; Deepak Chopra

doi:10.1016/j.jaim.2018.02.001

Relationships among classifications of ayurvedic medicine diagnostics for imbalances and western measures of psychological states: An exploratory study

J Ayurveda Integr Med. 2019 Jul-Sep;10(3):198-202. doi: 10.1016/j.jaim.2018.02.001. Epub 2018 Oct 29.

Authors

Paul J Mills¹, Christine Tara Peterson², Kathleen L Wilson², Meredith A Pung², Sheila Patel³, Lizabeth Weiss⁴, Suhas G Kshirsagar⁵, Rudolph E Tanzi⁶, Deepak Chopra³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA. Electronic address: pmills@ucsd.edu.
² Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
³ Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; The Chopra Center for Wellbeing, Carlsbad, CA, USA.
⁴ The Chopra Center for Wellbeing, Carlsbad, CA, USA.
⁵ Ayurvedic Healing, Santa Cruz, CA, USA.
⁶ Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.

Abstract

Background: According to Ayurveda, the traditional medical system of India, doshas are a combination of characteristics based on a five-element philosophy that drive our mental and physical tendencies. When the doshas, or functional principles, are out of balance in quality or quantity, wellbeing is adversely affected and symptoms manifest.

Objective: This study examined relationships among imbalances in the doshas (termed Vikruti) reported via questionnaire and Western measures of psychological states.

Materials and methods: Study participants were 101 women (n = 81) and men (n = 20), mean age 53.9 years (SD = 11.7; range 32-80). Participants completed questionnaires to categorize their Vikruti type and psychological states, which included depressed mood (CESD), anxiety (PROMIS), rumination & reflection (RRQ), mindfulness (MAAS), stress (PSS), and quality of life (Ryff).

Results: Multivariate general linear modeling, controlling for age, gender and body mass index (BMI), showed that Vata imbalance was associated with more anxiety (p ≤ 0.05), more rumination (p ≤ 0.01), less mindfulness (p ≤ 0.05), and lower overall quality of life (p ≤ 0.01). Pitta imbalance was associated with poorer mood (p ≤ 0.01) and less mindfulness (p ≤ 0.05), more anxiety (p ≤ 0.05) and stress (p ≤ 0.05). Kapha imbalance was associated with more stress (p ≤ 0.05), more rumination (p ≤ 0.05) and less reflection (p ≤ 0.05).

Conclusion: These findings suggest that symptoms of mind-body imbalances in Ayurveda are differentially associated with western assessments of psychological states. Ayurvedic dosha assessment may be an effective way to assess physical as well as emotional wellbeing in research and clinical settings.

Keywords: Anxiety; Dosha; Mood; Quality of life; Vikruti.