Kratom Use Tied to Lower Depression Scores in Methamphetamine Users, Network Analysis Finds

Why it matters

Understanding how kratom interacts with psychiatric symptoms in polydrug users is critical for clinicians treating stimulant use disorder, where kratom is increasingly used as a self-medication tool.

The big picture

Kratom is frequently used in Southeast Asia alongside other substances, and anecdotal reports have long suggested it may reduce anxiety and depressive symptoms. However, rigorous quantitative data on this relationship — particularly in methamphetamine users — has been lacking. Network analysis offers a novel statistical framework for examining the interconnections between substance use and psychiatric symptom clusters.

Key findings

• A cross-sectional study of 403 Malaysian males who used methamphetamine — some with and some without kratom use history — was analyzed using network analysis
• Compared with METH-only users, those who co-used kratom had several significantly lower depressive symptom scores
• The central depressive symptom node in the network was "sleep disturbance"; the central anxiety symptom was "heart pounding or racing"
• Kratom dosage per consumption was the single strongest kratom-related predictor of both depression and anxiety
• The researchers suggest the relationship is dose-dependent and frequency-dependent, warranting further investigation

What they say

The study authors note that "kratom may affect depression and anxiety in males who used METH in a dose-dependent and frequency-dependent manner," and that "the most correlated symptoms and bridge nodes in this network analysis should be considered as potential targets for intervention."

Bottom line

Kratom use was associated with lower depression scores in male methamphetamine users, but the effect appears strongly dose-dependent — more is not necessarily better.