The effects of lavender essential oil aromatherapy on anxiety and depression in haemodialysis patients

This study was intended to examine the effects of lavender essential oil aromatherapy on anxiety and depression in haemodialysis patients. This randomised clinical trial was conducted on 72 haemodialysis patients divided into control and experimental groups. The control group only received the routine care. The experimental group received aromatherapy with 3 drops of lavender essential oil 5% for 10 minutes every time they underwent haemodialysis for a period of one month. Anxiety and depression were measured in both groups at baseline and by the end of the second and fourth weeks during the first hour of a dialysis session. The rANOVA showed no significant difference between the two groups in terms of the severity of anxiety before the intervention and by the end of the second and fourth weeks (p  =  0.783). However, the  rANOVA revealed a significant difference with respect to the severity of depression between the two groups (p  =  0.005). Current research suggests that we need various concentrations of lavender essential oil to relieve anxiety compared to depression. In sum, future studies are required to investigate different concentrations of lavender essential oil at different times during haemodialysis sessions to obtain specific doses for lavender essential oil to be used on haemodialysis patients suffering from anxiety and depression.