Kratom use and mental health: A systematic review.
I've been using kratom for my mood or anxiety — given that there are no controlled trials showing it works, what evidence-based treatment could replace it, and how would we manage withdrawal if I stop?
Reasonable evidence with real limitations. how we score evidence
Kratom has never been approved by the FDA for any medical use and is not a lawful dietary supplement ingredient in the FDA's view; the agency has issued import alerts, warning letters, and repeated public warnings against its use.
A systematic review of all studies on kratom and mental health from 1960 to 2017 found only observational and self-report evidence — no controlled trials. Users commonly report mood enhancement, anxiety relief, and use as an opioid substitute, but the same literature documents dependence and withdrawal that some users find highly uncomfortable; no efficacy for any psychiatric condition has been demonstrated in a clinical trial.
Worth asking
I've been using kratom for my mood or anxiety — given that there are no controlled trials showing it works, what evidence-based treatment could replace it, and how would we manage withdrawal if I stop?
Source
Kratom use and mental health: A systematic review. — Swogger MT, Walsh Z. (2018)
Reputable peer-reviewed journal
Read the source: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2017.10.012
DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2017.10.012
How this was scored
- Study design
- Systematic review of observational studies
- Funding
- Funding not disclosed
- Published in
- Reputable peer-reviewed journal
- Sample size
- not recorded
- Preregistered
- No
- Conflicts disclosed
- No
- Independent of proponent
- Yes
- Retracted
- No
Read the full scoring rubric, including what it can't tell you.
Published August 19, 2026.
Where we put this study in context
Questions
How strong is the evidence behind this?
Resolv rates this source "moderate evidence". Reasonable evidence with real limitations. It scores 57 out of 100 on our published rubric. The score is calculated from recorded facts about the source — study design, funding, publication venue, sample size, preregistration — not typed in by an editor.
What is the source for this?
Kratom use and mental health: A systematic review. — Swogger MT, Walsh Z. (2018). Published in: Reputable peer-reviewed journal. DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2017.10.012. The full source is linked on this page so you can read it yourself.
Who paid for this research, and does that matter?
Study design: Systematic review of observational studies. Funding: Funding not disclosed. The researchers were independent of whoever benefits from the result. Industry sponsorship is one of the most reliably measured biases in medicine, which is why funding carries real weight in the score rather than sitting in a footnote.
Is kratom, mitragyna speciosa, ketum, biak-biak, thang, kakuam FDA approved for this use?
No. Its current status is: Not FDA-evaluated for this use. Kratom has never been approved by the FDA for any medical use and is not a lawful dietary supplement ingredient in the FDA's view; the agency has issued import alerts, warning letters, and repeated public warnings against its use.
Is this medical advice?
This is information to bring to your prescriber, not medical advice and not a reason to change anything on your own. Nothing here is an instruction to stop or reduce a medication. If you are in crisis, call or text 988.
This is information to bring to your prescriber, not medical advice and not a reason to change anything on your own. Nothing here is an instruction to stop or reduce a medication. If you are in crisis, call or text 988.