Self-administered complementary and alternative methods of treating mental disorders among students in Wrocław: a cross-sectional study

Prevalence of CAM use among students is high. One of the reasons we identified is limited access to professional psychiatric help. Use of CAM without supervision may potentially lead to adverse events. Psychiatrists treating students should consider those risks. Public health strategies should include educating students about CAM and classic therapies such as ECT, developing clinical guidelines for managing patients who use CAM and improving accessibility to mental health care for students. Future research should focus on studying the issue in other communities and populations, as well as precisely assessing the risks and potential benefits of particular CAM methods.