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Aimun Majid¹, Sheikh Abdul Khaliq², Nabeel Ahmad Zubairi³ and Iqbal Azhar¹

ABSTRACT

Objective: Main objective of current study was to investigate the frequency of the use of herbs and alternative-medicine during Covid-19 and their effectiveness in reducing stress.

Study Design: Cross-sectional survey

Place and Duration of Study: This study was conducted at the  Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Karachi from August 2022 to June 2023.

Methods: The collection of the data was done by survey questionnaire. Ethical approval of study has been taken from Ethical Review Committee, Hamdard University. Chi-square and correlation tests were applied for determination of significance between variables.

Results: The data for current study was collected from 332 participants. Majority of respondents were 18-30 years old, followed by 31-40 years. Respondents mentioned that black seeds, citrus fruits, ginger, herbal teas and honey consumption reduced the stress during lockdown of Covid-19 outbreak (χ²=1192.35; p=0.0051). Effects of rumors were high on individuals during pandemic for causing anxiety (χ²=975.92; p=0.0049). Similarly majority of individuals mentioned that herbal remedies were significantly (χ²=960.42; p=0.031) effective in reducing stress during Covis-19 lockdown. Low income individuals preferred to use herbal medicine during pandemic (χ²=1188.0; p=0.0001).

Conclusion: Herbal and alternative medicines can significantly contribute in boosting the immune strength of individuals with cost-effectiveness. Effectiveness of herbal products for relieving stress during Covid-19 was high.

Key Words: SARS-COV-2; Covid-19; herbal medicine; alternative medicine; stress; immune strength

Citation of article: Majid A, Khaliq SA, Zubairi NA, Azhar I. Stress Management During Covid-19 Pandemic by Consuming Herbal and Alternative Medicine – A Cross Sectional Study. Med Forum 2024;35(5):40-44. doi:10.60110/medforum.350509.