Effect of Aromatherapy With Rosemary Essential Oil on Preoperative Anxiety, Stress, Depression and Physiological Parameters in Candidates For General Surgery: A Clinical Trial

 Anxiety and stress are among the most common mental problems in patients before surgery. This study aims to determine the effect of aromatherapy with rosemary essential oil on preoperative anxiety, stress, depression and physiological parameters in candidates for general surgery. 

 In this clinical trial, 60 candidates for general surgery at Ayatollah Kashani Hospital in Shahrekord, Iran in 2019 were randomly divided into two groups of aromatherapy (n=30) and control (n=30). In the aromatherapy group, on the day of surgery, one hour before going to the operating room, three drops of 10% rose essential oil were poured on a tissue and pinned to the patients’ pillows, and they were asked to smell it for 20 minutes. There was no intervention in the control group. Data collection tools were a demographic form, the 21-item depression anxiety stress scale, and vital signs checklist. Data were analyzed in SPSS software, version 21 using chi-square test and paired t-test. 

Before the intervention, the mean scores of anxiety, stress, and depression in the aromatherapy group were 16.80, 17.77, and 16.27, respectively, where the difference in these three variables was not significant (P>0.05). After the intervention, their mean scores were 15.03, 15.57, and 15.83, respectively, where the difference in these variables was significant (P<0.05). There was a significant difference in these variables between the two groups (P<0.05). 

Aromatherapy with rosemary essential oil can reduce anxiety, stress, depression and improve some physiological indicators of patients before general surgery. Therefore, it is recommended to use it along with modern medicine.