50% of millennials would pick CBD oil over prescriptions for mental health

Eos Scientific has commissioned research across a sample of more than 2000 UK adults exploring the growing shift in health-conscious millennials seeking CBD oil over prescriptions for mental health

The proportion of NHS A&E patients seen within four hours has fallen dramatically, leaving many people in need of immediate care waiting for longer periods to be seen.

When it comes to mental health, the NHS is providing additional funding to better service the rising number of people seeking support in this area.

However, does it do enough to challenge the fears surrounding the strength of prescription medicines and their side-effects?

The research revealed:

• 30% of Brits, representing almost 15 million of the population, are wary of approaching a doctor about their mental health as they don’t want to be prescribed medication that may be too severe for their symptoms (47% of those aged 18-34)
• 24% of Brits, or roughly 11.3 million people, prefer to manage their mental health with holistic remedies (35% of those aged 18-34)
• 38% of Brits, representing almost 17.5 million UK adults, would use CBD oil to manage their mental health (50% of those aged 18-34)

Eos Scientific’s research has revealed that 15 million Brits are concerned about seeking prescription medication for their mental health, worried that the medication may be either too strong, have negative side-effects or too general for their symptoms. CBD oil is reported to have benefits in treating the symptoms of anxiety.

Simon Manthorpe, CEO of Eos Scientific, comments:

“CBD works by affecting the endocannabinoid system and, while further research is still ongoing into the long-term benefits of using CBD to treat anxiety, initial studies suggest that CBD oil has anti-anxiety and antidepressant effects.

“The number of UK users of CBD oil has almost doubled in the last year, with many claiming the cannabis-based products are a more natural and easily accessible way to manage their mental health.

“While prescribed medicine will always be the recommendation of medical professionals, we are seeing increasing numbers of people turning to more alternative remedies, not just for their mental health but for any number of ailments.”