Exploring the self-reported motivations of kratom (Mitragyna speciosa Korth.) use: a cross-sectional investigation

ABSTRACT

Background: Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa Korth.) use outside of Southeast Asia has increased over the past decade.

Objectives: This investigation clarifies kratom’s role in perceived well-being, overall health, and temporal correlation with drug use to understand kratom’s role in the self-treatment of substance use disorders (SUDs).

Methods: Between July 2019 and July 2020 an anonymous, cross-sectional, online survey was taken by 7,381 people who use kratom (PWUK) recruited through social media and other online resources. This included an assessment of (a) the relationship between self-reported overall health, concomitant use of drugs of misuse, and demographics; (b) the perceived effectiveness of kratom in self-treating diagnosed health conditions or symptoms; (c) the profile of PWUK primarily for drug dependence, pain, and mood or mental health conditions based on demographics.

Results: A total of 5,152 valid responses (45.9% females/53.7% males) were collected. Kratom was primarily used for self-treating pain (73.0%) and improving emotional or mental health conditions (42.2%) without clinical supervision. Those with a SUD (synthetic opioids, methadone, benzodiazepines, or heroin) used kratom after discontinuing illicit or other drugs (94.8%). The primary substances taken before or concomitantly with kratom were cannabis, cannabidiol, benzodiazepines, or kava. PWUKs report a dose-dependent benefit for alleviating pain and relieving negative moods. Adverse effects were primarily gastrointestinal, typically at high (>5 g/dose) and frequent (>22 doses/week) dosing.

Conclusions: Kratom was primarily used as a harm-reduction agent for SUDs and self-treatment of chronic conditions. Healthcare professionals need better information about kratom, its potential adverse effects, and clinically significant drug interactions.

KEYWORDS:

• Kratom
• Mitragyna speciosa
• opioid
• health impact

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the American Kratom Association and other US and international website hosts associated with the kratom community for assisting in the distribution of the survey link. Furthermore, we are grateful to all kratom users who contributed to the survey and shared their experiences.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed on the publisher’s website.

Additional information

Funding

This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.