Exploring the use of Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) via the YouTube data tool: A novel netnographic analysis

Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) is a tree native to Southeast Asia with long history of traditional medicinal use. The aim of this study was to investigate the nature of self-reported experiences as shared on YouTube™ videos. A total of 500 videos with 19,478,180 views and 134,863 comments emerged as result from the data scrape extracted via the YouTube Data Tool. 12 out of the 16 most viewed videos were manually processed and selected for inductive thematic analysis. Kratom was used to self-medicate a number of health conditions, including opioid dependence/addiction (83.4%), pain (75%), anxiety (67%), depression (42%), substance use (42%) as well as to boost energy (50%), elevate mood (25%) and its nootropic effects (25%). Although most of the described experiences were positive (58%), side-effects, such as dependence and withdrawal (50%), nausea (42%), loss of appetite (25%), sedation (25%), loss of motivation (16.7%), were also reported. These were associated in the 25% of the cases with chronic ingestions. Overall, it was found that Kratom was mainly used for self-medication, rather than recreational purposes, justifying the need for further clinical studies to better assess the safety and the efficacy of its use in a therapeutic context.