Social, psychological, and substance use characteristics of US adults who use kratom: Initial findings from an online, crowdsourced study
In a study published in Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology, authors conducted an online, crowdsourced survey to examine the social, psychological, and substance use characteristics of US adults who use kratom. Results showed that 13% of people who use drugs in the sample reported ever using kratom. The study suggests that addiction researchers and clinicians who assess substance use histories, particularly for diagnosing SUDs, need to assess kratom use and disordered use, especially given that kratom is not readily detected via urine analysis. Read the full study here.
NB: NDEWS Co-investigator Catherine Striley, PhD, and her lab recently interviewed 80 current kratom users to consider the consequences of use. To accomplish that aim, a DSM-5 compatible diagnosis of Kratom Use Disorder (KUD) with diagnostic algorithms was created and added to the DIS + SAM, a structured psychiatric diagnostic interview. Twenty six, or 32.5% met criteria for KUD; one half of the users (50%) endorsed continuing to use despite having a psychological or physical problem caused or exacerbated by kratom.