Effect of Lavender Aromatherapy on Preoperative Anxiety, Stress, and Depression in Orthopedic Surgery Patients

This study evaluates whether inhalation aromatherapy with lavender essential oil can reduce anxiety, stress, and depression in adult patients before orthopedic surgery in Jordan. Orthopedic procedures are often associated with high levels of psychological distress, which may worsen pain, delay recovery, and prolong hospital stay. Aromatherapy is a simple, non-drug intervention that may help patients feel calmer and better prepared for surgery. The study was conducted in two large public hospitals, Al-Bashir Hospital in Amman and Al Hussein Al-Salt New Hospital in Al-Salt. Adult patients (18 years or older) scheduled for major orthopedic operations who could read and write Arabic and agreed to participate were invited to join the study. Patients with respiratory problems, an allergy to lavender oil, pregnancy, or severe non-orthopedic pain were excluded. Participants were assigned to one of two groups. In the intervention group, patients inhaled 100% lavender essential oil for 20 minutes from a cotton pad placed about 5 cm from the nose before surgery. In the control group, patients inhaled room air only and received routine preoperative nursing care. All participants completed a short questionnaire, the 21-item Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21), before and after the intervention to measure their levels of anxiety, stress, and depression. A total of 128 patients took part, with 64 in the lavender group and 64 in the control group. The results showed that patients who received lavender aromatherapy had lower anxiety, stress, and depression scores before surgery compared with those who did not receive aromatherapy. These findings suggest that lavender inhalation aromatherapy may be a safe, low-cost, and easy-to-use option to improve psychological well-being for orthopedic surgery patients in the preoperative period.

NCT Number	NCT07513831
Lead Sponsor	Al-Zaytoonah University of Jordan
Conditions	Preoperative Anxiety, Psychological Stress, Depressive Symptoms, Orthopedic Surgery Patients
Enrollment	128 participants
Start Date	2024-03-01
Primary Completion	2024-04-30 (estimated)
Study Completion	2024-04-30 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2026-04-09