Singh Darshan, Müller Christian P, Vicknasingam Balasingam K, Mansor Sharif M
a Research Scientist, Centre for Drug Research , Universiti Sains Malaysia , Minden , Penang , Malaysia.
J Psychoactive Drugs. 2015 Apr-Jun;47(2):125-31. doi: 10.1080/02791072.2015.1012610.
Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) is an indigenous plant known for its traditional medicinal use, and for its addiction potential, in Southeast Asia. In recent years, kratom and its major alkaloid, mitragynine, spread worldwide with largely unknown effects on behavior and mental health. Recent studies show that kratom use can lead to dependence and that mitragynine works as an addictive drug in animal studies. Nevertheless, kratom preparations were also suggested as a less harmful substitute in opiate withdrawal. Potential side-effects of prolonged kratom use, however, are currently unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the social functioning of regular kratom users in Malaysia. A cross-sectional survey was carried out in three northern states of Peninsular Malaysia investigating 293 regular kratom consumers using the Addiction Severity Index in a snowball sampling technique. Findings showed that regular kratom users do not experience major impairments in their social functioning, despite being dependent on kratom for prolonged periods. Our findings suggest that chronic kratom administration does not significantly impair social functioning of users in a natural context in Malaysia.
kratom（Mitragyna speciosa）是一种原产于东南亚的植物，以其传统药用价值以及成瘾潜力而闻名。近年来，kratom及其主要生物碱——帽柱木碱在全球范围内传播，其对行为和心理健康的影响在很大程度上尚不明确。最近的研究表明，使用kratom会导致依赖，并且在动物研究中帽柱木碱具有成瘾性。尽管如此，kratom制剂也被认为是阿片类药物戒断中危害较小的替代品。然而，长期使用kratom的潜在副作用目前尚不清楚。本研究的目的是调查马来西亚kratom常用户的社会功能。在马来西亚半岛北部的三个州进行了一项横断面调查，采用雪球抽样技术，使用成瘾严重程度指数对293名kratom常用户进行了调查。研究结果表明，尽管长期依赖kratom，但kratom常用户在社会功能方面并未出现重大损害。我们的研究结果表明，在马来西亚的自然环境中，长期服用kratom不会显著损害使用者的社会功能。
