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Jeong and Kim: A Psychiatric Approach to Prince Sado: A Bipolar Disorder Sufferer or a Victim of Party Strife
Original Article

Journal of Korean Neuropsychiatric Association 2014; 53(5): 299-309.

Published online: 29 September 2014

DOI: https://doi.org/10.4306/jknpa.2014.53.5.299

A Psychiatric Approach to Prince Sado: A Bipolar Disorder Sufferer or a Victim of Party Strife

Ha Eun Jeong, MD, Chang Yoon Kim, MD, PhD

Department of Psychiatry, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.

Address for correspondence: Chang Yoon Kim, MD, PhD. Department of Psychiatry, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, 88 Olympic-ro 43-gil, Songpa-gu, Seoul 138-736, Korea. Tel +82-2-3010-3416, Fax +82-2-485-8381, cykim@amc.seoul.kr

Received 30 June 2014       Revised 7 July 2014       Accepted 31 July 2014

Copyright © 2014 Korean Neuropsychiatric Association

Abstract

Objectives

Prince Sado was the tragic royal heir who was sealed in a rice chest and starved to death by his father, King Yeongjo. The question of whether he was a victim of party strife or his death was the result of his psychiatric disorder is still controversial. In this paper, we investigated the question of whether he had suffered from bipolar disorder by reviewing his psychiatric symptoms and family history.

Methods

We examined the available literature on Prince Sado and his family, particularly focusing on Hanjungnok (Memoirs of Lady Hyegyeong), written by Prince Sado's wife.

Results

Review of the literature showed that Prince Sado suffered from psychiatric symptoms, including depressed mood, anxiety, suicidal behavior, aggressive behavior, and persecutory delusion from the age of 13 to 27. Many of his symptoms match the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders' criteria for depressive and manic episodes and it is highly suspected that he had bipolar disorder. He also showed clothing phobia, which can be regarded as an obsessive compulsive symptom. Some of his relatives, King Gyeongjong and Sanggyegun, might have suffered from depressive disorder.

Conclusion

The characteristics of his symptoms suggest that Prince Sado might have had bipolar disorder. His mental disorder might explain in part the cause of his death.

Keywords: Prince Sado, Hanjungnok, Bipolar disorder

Figures and Tables

Fig. 1
Pedigree of Prince Sado. *: Cannot be excluded from having mood disorder, †: Highly suspected of having depressive disorder.
jkna-53-299-g001

Notes

The authors have no financial conflicts of interest.

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