Effects of Aromatherapy on Mental Health: A Meta-analysis

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the impact of aromatherapy on mental health by meta-analysis and highlight its significance.Methods: A meta-analysis of domestic theses and academic papers was conducted for examining the impact of aromatherapy on mental health over a period of eight years period from 2015 to 2022. The risk of bias was assessed using the cross-sectional study assessment tool from the Joanna Briggs Institute. Quantitative analyses were conducted on the studies that met the inclusion criteria, and a meta-analysis was performed on those with available data using R (R ver. 4.2.1) software.Results: A total of 28 studies were included in the system evaluation, and 17 articles were included in the meta-analysis. Aromatherapy was found to be effective in alleviating stress (SMD=0.67, p<0.01), reducing depression (SMD=0.36, p=0.04), and decreasing anxiety (SMD=0.22, p<0.01). There lies difference between the aromatherapy and control group regarding mental health.Conclusion: This study confirms the effectiveness of aromatherapy in alleviating stress, depression, and anxiety. However, further studies are necessary to verify its beneficial effects on overall mental well-being.