Effect of Lavender Aromatherapy on Anxiety and Hemodynamic Changes: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Pre-surgery anxiety is a common factor among the individuals referring to the operating room. The present study has been conducted with the objective of investigating the effect of lavender essential oil on the anxiety, hemodynamic changes, and pain using the aromatherapy method.
This single-blinded clinical trial study was performed on 64 patients candidate for surgery with average anxiety score (46-56). The samples were divided into two equal groups (N=32 in each group). The first group had lavender aromatherapy for 20 min and the second group had aromatherapy with distilled water for 20 min. Finally, the levels of hemodynamic changes, pain, and the state (clear) and trait (hidden) anxiety, were investigated using the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety (STAI) questionnaire once at the night before surgery and once on the day of surgery after aromatherapy.
In this study, 30 male patients (46.9%) and 34 female patients (53.1%) with the mean age of 28.2±6.4 (minimum 17 and maximum 40 years old) were investigated. Spielberger trait mean score was not significant in control and aromatherapy group before and after the anesthesia. Spielberger state anxiety mean score in control group before and after the anesthesia was respectively obtained 52.1±1.5 and 50.2±2, which was not significantly different, but this mean in aromatherapy group before and after the anesthesia was respectively 51.9±3.8 and 45±2, the difference of which was significant (p=0.03). The mean pain score during exit from recovery in control and aromatherapy groups was, respectively, 45.3 and 29.5, the difference of which was significant (Z=-2.55, p=0.01).
Considering the reduction of pain and anxiety in the recovery before and after aromatherapy by the Lavender essential oil, especially in subjects with moderate anxiety, it seems that use of this plant before surgery is effective in the reduction of anxiety.