Objective To investigate the relationship between Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) constitutions and psychological health across different health groups through latent profile analysis.

Methods The TCM Constitution Scale and Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90) were distributed to participants via an online platform. Latent profile analysis (LPA) was employed to identify latent categories of TCM constitution scores. Grouped Pearson correlation analysis and multiple linear regression were then used to analyze the differential effects of TCM constitutions on mental health across health groups.

Results The LPA identified three distinct categories: the physically healthy group, the physically sub-healthy group, and the physically unhealthy group. Significant differences in mental health were found among all three groups. In the healthy group, the correlation between TCM constitutions and SCL-90 subscales was weak, with only the inherited special constitution score being a risk factor for somatization score (P ＜ 0.05). And an increase in the Yang deficiency constitution score was associated with a reduction in somatization score. Within the non-healthy population formed by combining the sub-healthy group and unhealthy group, the balanced constitution scores showed a negative correlation with all SCL-90 factors (r = –0.328 to –0.216, P ＜ 0.05). In the biased TCM constitutions, the strongest positive correlations with the SCL-90 factor scores were observed for Qi stagnation constitution scores (r = 0.250 to 0.401, P ＜ 0.05). The score of Qi stagnation constitution was also an independent risk factor for the average score of SCL-90 total scale, interpersonal sensitivity, depression, paranoia and psychosis factor scores (P ＜ 0.05). The scores of qi deficiency and qi stagnation were the risk factors for somatization factor scores (P ＜ 0.05). The scores of Yin deficiency and Qi stagnation constitution were the risk factors for obsessive-compulsive symptoms, anxiety and fear factor scores (P ＜ 0.05), while the balanced constitution score was a protective factor for obsessive-compulsive symptoms and sleep and dietary scores (P ＜ 0.05). Additionally, an increase in the Yang deficiency constitution score was also associated with the alleviation of obsessive-compulsive symptoms and improvement of sleep and dietary factors.

Conclusions There exists a dynamic associative mechanism between Traditional Chinese Medicine constitution and mental health.