Self-administered complementary and alternative methods of treating mental disorders among students in Wrocław: a cross-sectional study.
Frontiers in public health January 1, 2025 Jakub Sobieraj, Jakub Sleziak, Michał Szyszka et al.
Among university students in Wrocław, Poland, complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use is nearly universal, with 96.1% of 493 surveyed students reporting its use. Depression is the most common mental health disorder (74.7% of those with a history). The most popular CAM methods include physical exercise (81.4%), meditation (60.5%), and yoga (39.1%); herbal substances such as lemon balm (53.0%) and ashwagandha (24.8%) are also common, alongside marijuana (31.3%) and psychedelics (10.4%). Key barriers to professional care are cost (80.7%), availability (35.7%), and stigma (30.7%). Students using marijuana, ashwagandha, or St. John's wort report more intense depressive symptoms. The findings suggest that limited access to psychiatric care drives high CAM use, and unsupervised use may pose risks, warranting education and clinical guidelines.