Abstract

Hwa-byung is a Korean culture-bound syndrome and it is common in elderly women, but the diagnostic criteria of which have not been completed yet. That is because Hwa-byung is a term spoken generally by civilian in Korea, and the concept of Hwa-byung is also different among researchers. In previous studies, Hwa-byung was considered as an independent disease which had unique symptoms. And, other study suggested that it threatened health as very serious disease. Therefore, the development of standardized and objective diagnostic instrument is very important for treament for treatment of Hwa-byung. This study reviewed previous studies for diagnosis of Hwa-byung and, introduced diagnostic instrument with diagnostic criteria developed by multi-disciplinary study.

• Keywords: Hwabyung, diagnosis