Among 493 Polish university students, 31% used marijuana as a self-administered mental health treatment, and marijuana users showed more intense depressive symptoms than non-users.
university mental health services, student health researchers, psychiatrists working with young adults
What the researchers found
31.3% of students used marijuana as a complementary therapy. Marijuana users presented more intense depressive symptoms on PHQ-10. Marijuana use was more prevalent among yoga practitioners and students with ADHD. Students who engaged with professional healthcare also had higher marijuana usage. Cost (80.7%), availability (35.7%), and stigma (30.7%) were the main barriers to professional care.
Why it matters
The high prevalence of marijuana self-medication among students, often alongside rather than instead of professional care, highlights gaps in accessible mental health services and the need for clinical awareness of students' actual treatment behaviors.
The numbers in context
493 students surveyed. 46.5% had mental health disorder history. 31.3% used marijuana. 96.1% used any CAM method. 80.7% cited cost as barrier to professional care. Marijuana users had more intense depressive symptoms. More prevalent in yoga practitioners and ADHD students.
How the study worked
Cross-sectional survey of 493 students from Wroclaw universities (April-December 2024) assessing mental health history, CAM use, attitudes toward treatments, and depressive symptoms via PHQ-10-modeled questions.
What this study cannot tell us
Cross-sectional design prevents causal conclusions. Self-reported mental health and substance use. Single-city university sample. Cannot determine if marijuana use worsens or follows from depression. CAM survey developed specifically for this study, not validated.
How to read the evidence
Adequate sample with multiple measures, but cross-sectional design and single-city sampling limit to moderate.
When this study was published
Survey conducted April-December 2024 in Wroclaw, Poland.
The bigger picture
This study captures a broader trend of young people self-managing mental health with cannabis and other alternative approaches. The correlation between marijuana use and worse depressive symptoms does not establish causation but warrants clinical attention.
Questions still open
- Does marijuana self-medication worsen depression in students, or do more depressed students seek out marijuana?
- Would better mental health access reduce student marijuana self-medication?
Common questions
Why do students use marijuana for mental health?
Does marijuana help with depression?
Read the original research
Self-administered complementary and alternative methods of treating mental disorders among students in Wrocław: a cross-sectional study.
Frontiers in public health, 13, 1734137
Citation
Sobieraj, Jakub; Sleziak, Jakub; Szyszka, Michał; Błażejewska, Marta; Łukańko, Kamila; Soczomska, Pola; Bodziony, Kinga; Piotrowski, Patryk. (2025). Self-administered complementary and alternative methods of treating mental disorders among students in Wrocław: a cross-sectional study.. Frontiers in public health, 13, 1734137. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1734137
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