[Use of medicinal plants in patients with symptoms of generalized anxiety].

Background: Anxiety is one of the most common mental disorders. It has an impact on the decrease of productivity, the affectation of quality of life, and the increase in health care costs. The study of plant species with medicinal properties to treat anxiety has made significant progress, since they have been evaluated through and clinical studies.

Objective: To identify the use of medicinal plants among patients with symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).

Material And Methods: A diagnostic questionnaire, including the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale, and another related with the use of medicinal plants, was applied. It was designed specifically for this study, and it was used in subjects and/or their companions, who visited an hospital.

Results: The study had 985 subjects, 802 women, with a median age of 37.1 ± 15.17; anxiety symptoms were identified in 95.9% (940); according to the number of signs and symptoms, 53.1% (523) of subjects may have suffered a moderate or severe degree of anxiety. 23.09% (187) used medicinal plants to treat their symptoms. 39 plant species were identified as used by patients with GAD symptoms. Of these, 76.3% (29) had a history of ethnomedical use on mental disorders.

Conclusions: A high percentage of the population in Mexico presents symptoms of GAD. A significant number of patients use medicinal plants to treat the symptoms of anxiety, even when they do not know that their symptomatology is part of a mental disorder.