The effect of inhalation aromatherapy with lemon balm essential oil on perceived stress in infertile women undergoing in vitro fertilization: An RCT.

BACKGROUND

Women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment often experience a lot of stress during treatment cycles. One of the interventions in the field of stress reduction is aromatherapy. Lemon balm is a plant with antistress and antidepressant effects, but its effect on the perceived stress of infertile women has not been studied.

OBJECTIVE

Determining the effect of inhaled aromatherapy with lemon balm essential oil on perceived stress in infertile women undergoing IVF treatment.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

The present study was a randomized clinical trial with a pretest/posttest design. A total of 86 infertile women who referred to the Milad Infertility Center in Imam Reza hospital, Mashhad, Iran from July-October 2024 were selected using a convenient sampling method. Women were divided into 2 intervention and control groups using a 4-way random block method. The intervention group received inhaled aromatherapy with lemon balm essential oil for 2 wk, twice a day, in the morning and at night. The control group also received a placebo. The research tools included demographic questionnaires and the fertility-problem inventory. The participants' stress levels were measured with fertility-problem inventory, and both groups completed questionnaires before and after the intervention.

RESULTS

Before the intervention, no significant difference was observed in the perceived stress variable between the intervention and control groups (p = 0.112), but after the intervention, a statistically significant difference was observed between the 2 groups (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

The effect of aromatherapy with lemon balm essential oil reduces perceived stress in infertile women undergoing IVF treatment.