Depression, anxiety, chronic stress – for many students, these are no longer occasional episodes, but everyday realities. When access to a psychiatrist or psychologist proves difficult, expensive, or stigmatizing, young people are increasingly seeking help on their own. They turn to exercise, meditation, supplements, herbs, and sometimes psychoactive substances.
What is the scale of this phenomenon, and where is the line between safe self-help and risky self-medication? Answers are provided by a study conducted among students of Wrocław universities by a team from Wroclaw Medical University.
Self-help has become the norm
493 students took part in the study. As many as 96% of them declared that they used at least one method of coping with mental health problems on their own. Most often, these were activities with a high safety profile:
- physical activity (81%),
- meditation (60%)
- and yoga (39%).
-This shows that students are not passive. They are looking for ways to help themselves and often choose methods that make sense from a health perspective,- comments Jakub Sobieraj, MD, from the Neurology Clinic of the University Clinical Hospital in Wroclaw, co-author of the study conducted as part of the SKN Psychiatry under the supervision of Patryk Piotrowski, PhD, professor at Wroclaw Medical University.
Exercise, sleep, mindfulness – these elements are well-documented as supporting mental health. The problem begins when self-help ceases to be a supplement and becomes the only form of “treatment.”
Herbs and supplements: natural does not mean harmless
In addition to physical activity, students were keen to use herbal preparations. The most common was lemon balm (53%), but also ashwagandha (25%) and chamomile. St. John’s wort was used by 11% or more of respondents.
-Not all complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) methods are equal. Some have a more solid basis, while others require great caution. St. John’s wort and ashwagandha can interact with psychotropic drugs, – emphasizes Dr. Sobieraj.
Importantly, users of ashwagandha and St. John’s wort showed higher severity of depressive symptoms. This suggests that people in poorer mental health are more likely to use these remedies – not necessarily because they help, but because the need for relief is stronger.
Psychoactive substances – high risk
One of the most disturbing findings of the study is the scale of marijuana use – 31% of students reported using it, often not recreationally, but “to improve their well-being.” More than 10% used psychedelics.
-Marijuana is sometimes seen to cope with low mood, but it can worsen symptoms, increase the risk of addiction, or reveal psychotic disorders, – notes Dr. Sobieraj.
It is difficult to talk about effective therapy here; rather, it is an attempt to reduce tension in the short term. An interesting and complex issue is that marijuana was more commonly used by students who practiced yoga and meditation, and by people with ADHD. This may indicate greater openness to experimentation, but also a susceptibility to impulsive coping strategies for stress.
Why do students treat themselves?
The answer is not clear-cut. On the one hand, there are systemic barriers. The cost of private visits was the main obstacle for over 80% of respondents, and the availability of public healthcare for one-third. On the other hand, cultural factors and media narratives play a huge role.
-Respondents most often drew their knowledge of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) methods from the media, where simplifications and advertisements dominate. At the same time, there is a high level of acceptance of classic treatment methods: 81% of students accept psychotherapy and 76% accept medication, – says Dr. Sobieraj.
From a public health perspective, the key conclusion is that the greatest risk is not yoga, meditation, or supplements themselves, but being left alone with therapeutic decisions.
Self-medication can delay contact with professional help, and in psychiatry, time is of the essence. Self-diagnosis can be flawed, and symptoms, instead of subsiding, can increase and affect learning, relationships, and social functioning.
-For clinicians, information about the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) can be very valuable diagnostically. Sometimes it is not the cause of the problem, but its symptoms – a sign that the patient is desperately seeking relief, – emphasizes the author of the study.
It is not about whether someone uses alternative methods. The key is how, when, and with whom. Because self-help can be a bridge to treatment – or a dead end.
The study clearly shows where systemic action is needed:
- education about CAM without scaring or idealizing it,
- easily accessible, low-threshold forms of mental health support,
- normalization of conversations about mental health at universities,
- greater availability of specialists for students.
The mental health of young people is not solely their private matter. It is part of the academic and social infrastructure – just as important as libraries or dormitories.
The material is based on the article:
https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1734137
Authors: Jakub Sobieraj, Jakub Sleziak, Michał Szyszka, Marta Błażejewska, Kamila Łukańko, Pola Soczomska, Kinga Bodziony, Patryk Piotrowski