Aromatherapy with two essential oils from Satureja genre and mindfulness meditation to reduce anxiety in humans
Marilú Roxana Soto-Vásquez, Paul Alan Arkin Alvarado-García
Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine June 27, 2016 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtcme.2016.06.003 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized experimental trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 108 |
| Population | Human participants |
| Intervention | Mindfulness meditation |
| Topics | Anxiety Meditation |
| Key findings | Aromatherapy with Satureja brevicalyx or Satureja boliviana essential oils, alone or combined with mindfulness meditation, reduced state and trait anxiety scores from pretest to posttest, with the largest reductions when combined. |
Abstract
The goal of this study was to verify whether association of aromatherapy with essential oils of Satureja brevicalyx or Satureja boliviana and mindfulness meditation can reduce anxiety levels in humans. A randomized experimental trial was carried out with 108 participants who were divided into 6 groups, comprising a waiting list control group and five experimental groups. Aromatherapy was carried out by inhalation of essential oils while mindfulness intervention program was focused on “flow meditation”. The anxiety index was evaluated by State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Measures were taken two times: pretest and posttest. State and Trait anxiety scores showed a decrease in posttest study phase in comparison with pretest in all experimental groups (p < 0.005), especially in those where aromatherapy and mindfulness meditation were used together. All Cohen's d scores were over to 1 that means a large size effect in anxiety variable. Percentages of change showed reductions of anxiety variable ranging between 20% and 47%. All treatments used isolated or associated, may be considered alternative treatment options for anxiety.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on anxiety, most cited first.
Citations in the library
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