Evaluation of aromatherapy in pharmacy students with probable anxiety symptoms

Caio Cesar Henriques Mendes, Jefferson Quadros Ripardo, Carmen Lúcia Lobato Adegas, Ananda Karolyne Martins de Brito, Andressa Santa Brigida da Silva, Bruno Gonçalves Pinheiro, Bruno José Martins da Silva, Tais Vanessa Gabbay Alves

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of aromatherapy on university students with signs of anxiety. For this purpose, a study was conducted with 26 volunteers of both sexes and ages ranging from 18 to 51 years. Anxiety was assessed by the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory after the participants signed the Informed Consent Form (ICF). Participants who presented a score of at least 33 points on the STAI were included in the study. The study was randomized into two groups: the test group that received the blend of chamomile and lavender oils and the control group that received only a carrier oil containing only coconut oil. The data were entered into an Excel spreadsheet for subsequent statistical analysis in the BioStat software applying the t-test, where p<0.05 was considered significant. After the analyses, it was found that the data obtained presented a non-significant p result, with a p-value>0.05. However, although the result was not significant, there was a reduction in anxiety levels and a small reduction in STAI scores when compared to no intervention.