The Effects of Aromatherapy on Stress and Stress Responses in Adolescents

Seo, Ji-Yeong

doi:10.4040/jkan.2009.39.3.357

J Korean Acad Nurs. 2009 Jun;39(3):357-365. Korean.
Published online Jun 29, 2009.
https://doi.org/10.4040/jkan.2009.39.3.357

Original Article

The Effects of Aromatherapy on Stress and Stress Responses in Adolescents

Ji-Yeong Seo

Author information

Author notes

Copyright and License

- Full-time Lecturer, Department of Nursing, Youngnam Foreign Language College, Gyeongsan, Korea.
Address reprint requests to: Seo, Ji-Yeong. Department of Nursing, Youngnam Foreign Language College, 220-1 Hyeopseok-ri, Namcheon-myeon, Gyeongsan 712-717, Korea. Tel: 82-53-810-7763, Fax: 82-53-810-0199, Email: marseo@hanmail.net

Received August 13, 2008; Accepted May 18, 2009.

Abstract

Purpose

This study was done to examine the effects of aromatherapy on stress and stress responses in adolescents.

Methods

A two-group cross-over design was used for this study. The experimental treatment was aroma essential oil inhalation and the placebo treatment was carrier oil inhalation using a necklace. The sample included 36 female high school students. Fisher's exact test, t-test, and paired t-test using SPSS/WIN program were used to analyze the data.

Results

Stress levels were significantly lower when the students received the aroma treatment compared to when they received the placebo treatment. The stress responses except salivary IgA levels were significantly lower when the students received the aroma treatment.

Conclusion

Aroma inhalation could be a very effective stress management method for high school students. Therefore, it is recommended that this program be used in clinical practice as an effective nursing intervention for high school students.

Keywords

Aromatherapy; Adolescents; Stress; Stress response

Figures

Figure 1
Research design.

O₁, O₂, O₃, O₄=stress, anxiety, physical symptoms, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), pulse rate (PR), Cortisol, IgA.

X₁=aroma (bergamot essential oil) inhalation (solid line).

X₂=placebo (carrier oil & artificial flavor) inhalation (dotted line).

Group 1=aroma inhalation-1st & Placebo inhalation-2nd; Group 2=placebo inhalation-1st & Aroma inhalation-2nd.

Click for larger image

Tables

Table 1
Homogeneity Test for General Characteristics between the Group 1 and Group 2 at Pre-test (O₁) (N=36)

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Table 2
Homogeneity Test for Dependent Variables at Pre-test (O₁) (N=36)

Click for larger image

Table 3
Stress Score and Stress Response per Every Period in Group 1 and Group 2

Click for larger image

Table 4
Changes in Stress Score and Stress Response between the Post-Aroma and Post-Placebo

Click for larger image

Notes

This study is a part of Ph.D. dissertation.

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