Anxiety reduction by aromatherapy: Anxiolytic effects of inhalation of geranium and rosemary

Some aromatherapists suggest that geranium oil is useful for reducing anxiety but do not recommend the use of rosemary oil. To examine these assertions, using a standard psychological instrument for measuring anxiety, three groups of twelve undergraduates filled out the Spielberger State-Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and then inhaled either just steam, steam plus geranium oil, or steam with rosemary oil added. After inhalation volunteers filled out the STAI again immediately and a third time one hour later. Analysis revealed no difference between the groups in either state or trait anxiety scores before inhalation. In the steam only condition STAI scores did not change across the session. However a significant and this reduction was maintained across the session. It is likely that volunteers' expectations coloured the way they responded in the study but it is argued that anxiolyic effects are demonstrated in addition to those effects associated with conforming to the experimental situation. With geranium oil inhalation both state and trait scores were significantly lowered across the session. The reduction in reported anxiety is probably only of sufficient magnitude (18%) to be clinically important for state anxiety following geranium oil inhalation.