An epidemiological study on herbal product self-medication practice among psychotic outpatients from Serbia: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Utilization of herbal products (HPs) is a common practice in the traditional medicine of people from southeastern Serbia. In this study, we focused on the usage of HPs as a self-medication practice among patients diagnosed with a mental illness, by aiming to ascertain the usage prevalence, the identity of the main plant taxa utilized, their formulations and target symptoms. This was accomplished through a cross-sectional study of psychiatric outpatients, conducted in the Clinic for Mental Health Protection in Niš, and which included a questionnaire on HP utilization and a non-structured psychiatric interview. Typically, single, middle-aged males, with a secondary education degree, utilized and/or in a form of an infusion (tea) for relieving anxiety and psychotic symptoms. In some cases, adverse effects were noted when HPs were used in combination with prescribed psychotropic medications. Our and previous results urge a thorough evaluation of possible benefits and/or harmful interactions of HP with standard medication in the treatment of psychiatric patients.

Self-treatment and adverse reactions with herbal products for treating symptoms associated with anxiety and depression in adults from the central-western region of Mexico during the Covid-19 pandemic

“…Being diagnosed with mental illness was the main factor associated with the use of medicinal herbs to treat anxiety and depression in this study [OR:2.195 (1.655–2.912)] and in a previous study [OR:3.45 (1.23–4.65)] in Mexico City ( Berenzon-Gorn et al, 2009 ). Furthermore, a low educational level is consistent with two studies ( Stojanović et al, 2017 ; Nikolić et al, 2018 ), but it is in contrast with other studies, which indicate that a high educational level was associated with the use of medicinal herbs for the treatment of SAAD ( Parslow and Jorm, 2004 ; Roy-Byrne et al, 2005 ; Niv et al, 2010 ; Vasiladis and Tempier, 2011 ; Ravven et al, 2011 ). In Canada, a high economic status was related to the use of herbs for the treatment of anxiety and depression ( Vasiladis and Tempier, 2011 ), which is in contrast with the results obtained in this work.…”

“…This clearly indicates that Covid-19 lockdown substantially increased the use of medicinal herbs to treat mental disorders such as anxiety and depression among Mexican population. Worldwide, the use of herbs for the treatment of SAAD ranges from 2.28 to 53% ( Parslow and Jorm, 2004 ; Elkins et al, 2005 ; Roy-Byrne et al, 2005 ; Wu et al, 2007 ; Niv et al, 2010 ; Ravven et al, 2011 ; Bystritsky et al, 2012 ; Stojanović et al, 2017 ; Nikolić et al, 2018 ). The findings showed that the high levels of self-medication to treat SAAD reported in this study are associated with female gender, age (>40 years), low educational level (elementary and middle school), marital status (single), unemployment, having private health insurance, being diagnosed with mental illness, the use of psychiatric medication, and consumption of drugs.…”

“…The herbs most commonly used to treat SAAD were in the following order: orange blossom, chamomile, valerian, tilia, and passion flower. The most used herbs to treat anxiety and depression reported in other studies were St John's-wort ( Parslow and Jorm, 2004 ; Roy-Byrne et al, 2005 ; Vasiladis and Tempier, 2011 ; Ravven et al, 2011 ), kava-kava ( Piper methysticum ) ( Elkins et al, 2005 ), garlic and ginko ( Niv et al, 2010 ), melisa ( Stojanović et al, 2017 ; Nikolić et al, 2018 ), chamomile ( Ravven et al, 2011 ; Bystritsky et al, 2012 ), and valerian ( Nikolić et al, 2018 ). The findings agree with most of the previous studies.…”

Paeoniflorin Rescued MK-801-Induced Schizophrenia–Like Behaviors in Mice via Oxidative Stress Pathway

“…Therefore, our study was the first to provide evidence of a potential antipsychotic role of PF in SCZ, and the effect was likely through oxidative stress pathway. The potential antipsychotic role of PF in SCZ is consistent with previous reports showing that natural products ameliorated MK-801-induced SCZ like behaviors in mice, these natural products included maslinic acid ( 24 ) and Kami-ondam-tang ( 25 ).…”

The Study of the Chemical Composition of Thymus Eremita Klok. And Thymus Rasitatus Klok. From the Karaganda Region

“…The genus Thymus is popular in traditional medicine of many countries and peoples as a valuable medicinal raw material. Various types of biological activity of plants of the thyme species have been described by the results of scientific research [1,2,3,4,5,6]. Thymus serpyllum L. and Thymus vulgaris L. are included in the State Pharmacopoeia of the Republic of Kazakhstan as medicinal plants [7].…”