Effects of aromatherapy on anxiety: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Minmin Gong; Hui Dong; Yueheng Tang; Wenya Huang; Fuer Lu

doi:10.1016/j.jad.2020.05.118

Effects of aromatherapy on anxiety: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

J Affect Disord. 2020 Sep 1:274:1028-1040. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2020.05.118. Epub 2020 May 26.

Authors

Minmin Gong¹, Hui Dong¹, Yueheng Tang¹, Wenya Huang², Fuer Lu³

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
² Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
³ Institute of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China. Electronic address: felu@tjh.tjmu.edu.cn.

PMID: 32663929
DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2020.05.118

Abstract

Scope: The effects of aromatherapy on relieving anxiety were controversial. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the effects of aromatherapy on anxiety in patients.

Methods and results: We searched randomized controlled trials (RCTs) about aromatherapy on decreasing anxiety on PUBMED, WEB OF SCIENCE (January 1990 to October 2019), COCHRANE LIBRARY, EMBASE (updated to October 2019), and the Chinese databases CNKI, WanFang and CBMD. Twenty-five articles (Thirty-two trials) were included in this meta-analysis. The data of scale scores of Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) were extracted. The pooled results demonstrated that inhalation and massage aromatherapy significantly decreased anxiety levels in different conditions. The weighted mean difference was -5.16 for State Anxiety Inventory (SAI) (95%CI: -5.78, -4.55, p<0.001) and -2.85 for Trait Anxiety Inventory (TAI) (95%CI: -3.95, -1.75, p<0.001). No side effects were mentioned in all of studies.

Conclusion: The meta-analysis suggested that aromatherapy with different essential oils could alleviate anxiety significantly no matter the reason of anxiety. However, the proper dosage of essential oils needs further research.

Keywords: Anxiety; Aromatherapy; Essential oils; Inhalation; Massage; Meta-analysis.

Publication types

Meta-Analysis
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

MeSH terms

Anxiety / therapy
Anxiety Disorders
Aromatherapy*
Humans
Massage
Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic