Analysis of factors related to the use of Korean medicine treatment in adult patients with depressed mood: Based on the Korea Health Panel Annual Data 2019

Objectives: This study analyzed the factors related to outpatient service to Western medicine (WM) and Korean medicine (KM) of Korean adults with depressed mood using data from the 2019 Korea Health Panel Study.Methods: The general characteristics according to group of 827 individuals, and the factors influencing the use of integrative medicine (IM) medical service were identified using the Chi-square test and binary logistic regression results. The factors were classified based on the Andersen healthcare utilization model. The results of regression analysis were presented as odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI).Results: Among the individuals of the study, 658 (79.6%) were in the WM group and 169 (20.4%) were in the IM group. In the WM group and the IM group, the presence of suicidal ideation was common at 37.7% and 43.2%, respectively. As a result of regression analysis, the living in Busan/Daegu/Ulsan/Gyeongsang compared to living in Seoul/Gyeonggi/Incheon [OR = 0.522 (95% CI = 0.328 to 0.830)], and presence of musculoskeletal [OR = 1.686 (95% CI = 1.071 to 2.653)] and mood disorders [OR = 1.737 (95% CI = 1.106 to 2.726)] were the most influential factors on the use of IM medical service.Conclusions: This study is the first in Korea to analyze the patterns of medical institution use and factors used in KM treatment among adults with depressed mood. The results of this study provide preliminary evidence for the contribution of KM to national mental health in the context of depression.