In homeopathic prescribing, emotional and mental traits play a key role in remedy selection. The rubric “sympathetic”, commonly found in homeopathic repertories, represents traits such as empathy, sensitivity and compassion. However, its inclusion of particular medicines raises concerns regarding discriminative validity. This study applied a likelihood ratio (LR)-based statistical method to evaluate the strength of association between medicines and the rubric “sympathetic”, aiming to enhance scientific reliability and evidence-informed prescribing.

An 18-month analytical, longitudinal, epidemiological study was conducted at the outpatient departments of a homeopathic hospital in India. Participants aged ≥12 years with chronic illnesses were included, classified as “sympathetic” based on the validated Modified Trait Sympathy Scale – Homeopathic Perspective (mTSS–HP). Individualized homeopathic treatment was provided in centesimal or LM potencies. Treatment outcome was assessed using the Outcome Related to Impact on Daily Living (ORIDL) scale over a 3-month follow-up. Likelihood ratios (LR(+) and LR(−)) were computed from 2 × 2 contingency tables to quantify associations between medicines and the rubric “sympathetic”.

A total of 1,372 participants were enrolled; 1,327 (96.7%) completed the study. The cohort was predominantly female (74.2%) and had a mean age of 38.9 ± 13.7 years. Among 78 prescribed medicines, Ignatia amara (LR(+) = 2.0), Carcinosinum (LR(+) = 2.2), Staphysagria macrosperma (LR(+) = 1.9), and Nitricum acidum (LR(+) = 2.6) showed strong positive LRs, suggesting a significant association with the “sympathetic” rubric. Remedies such as Bryonia alba, Nux vomica, Natrum sulphuricum, and Sulphur demonstrated LR(+) <1, indicating weaker associations.

LR-based analysis identified a restricted set of medicines with robust statistical association with the rubric “sympathetic”, supporting the need for selective refinement of repertorial listings. This approach strengthens the empirical foundation of mental–emotional rubrics and offers a reproducible framework for evidence-informed, individualized homeopathic prescribing.

This paper contains all of the data that were collected or examined during the trial. The corresponding author can be contacted with any additional queries.

Q.S., U.R., S.H., D.C., S.B., T.P., A.R.: Methodology, validation, conducting the investigation, data curation, writing – original draft, review, and editing.

R.K.P., S.M.A., M.M.N.H., Sumana Sengupta: Methodology, validation, conducting the investigation, resources, writing – review and editing, supervision, project administration, funding acquisition.

Subhranil Saha, M.K., L.R.: Conceptualization, methodology, formal analysis, data curation, writing – original draft, review, and editing.

The study protocol was approved by the Institutional Ethics Committee (IEC): DHC/Eth-45/2018/1/02/6//2023, dated January 31, 2023. The study protocol and the full project reports respectively were submitted respectively as a postgraduate synopsis and dissertation to the West Bengal University of Health Sciences, Kolkata.

Before enrolment, each patient was provided with a participant information sheet that made clear the objectives, methods, risks and benefits of participating, as well as confidentiality issues. Before subsequent enrolment, written informed consent was obtained.

Being a documentation of routine prescriptions in daily practice, trial registration was not indicated for this study.

The project was performed as the postgraduate dissertation work of the first author (Q.S.), and the report was submitted to the West Bengal University of Health Sciences, Kolkata, in 2024.

Received: 14 October 2025

Accepted: 08 January 2026

Article published online:
10 April 2026

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