Abstract
‘Constitutional types’ are a feature of homeopathy. Constitutions are constellations
of mental, physical and general features. We present results of a 152-item ‘Constitutional
Type Questionnaire’ (CTQ), relating to 19 major constitutional remedies. Patients
referred to the Royal London Homoeopathic Hospital (RLHH) were recruited from outpatient
clinics. Each remedy was assigned eight associated features. Each item is rated as
it applies to the subject most of the time on a five-point scale. Grade of Membership
analysis (GOM) was used for evaluation of remedy profiles. Four hundred and forty-seven
individuals provided useable data. Demographic data were collected. A nine pure type
solution provided the best fit to the data. Few subjects had exclusive ‘membership’
of one pure type. There are some difficulties in interpretation; for instance some
groups were characterised by the absence of ‘constitutional’ features. Some pure types
are coherent, recognisable types.
The results give some support to the homeopathic concept of constitution. CTQ results
correlate quite well with the actual prescribing of homeopaths. Further validation
with other cohorts is required and with refinement it might become a useful screening
method. It cannot simulate complex information processing performed by homeopathic
practitioners.
Keywords
constitutional types - questionnaire - CTQ - grade of membership
