A comparative Study on effect of lavender oil and lemongrass oil on mental health and concentration in healthy individuals with academic stress

Introduction:

• Stress is an innate response of the body that may be either physical, mental, or emotional to an unforeseen event that occurs in the life of the individual.
• Academic life is one of the events in an individual’s life that may have different stressors.
• Contemporary literature suggests that university life is subjected to different stressors arising from academic pressure, social problems, and personal issues.
• It may also involve living away from the family which brings social isolation and adds to personal vulnerability.
• Negative mental health leads to decreased energy, difficulty thinking, concentrating, and making career decisions. Students are a pillar of the future in building an educated society.

Aromatherapy:

• Aromatherapy is the popular complementary therapy that uses essential oils (also known volatile oils) from parts of the plants for the improvement of physical, emotional and spiritual well-being.
• Lavender and lemongrass oil as an herbal remedy has been associated with anxiolytic properties.
• It was suggested that the anxiolytic and antidepressant effects could be associated with the suppression of the activity of the sympathetic nervous system and it is perceived as pleasant and displays a relaxing activity, it has been employed in aromatherapy in different therapeutic contexts.

Study design:

• A Comparative Pre-Post study design will be adopted for this study. All the eligible subjects will be divided into two groups, Lavender group and Lemongrass group.
• Group 1 will receive inhalation of Lavender oil for 10 minutes/day & Group 2 will receive inhalation of Lemongrass oil for 10 minutes/day for a period of 30 days.
• Assessments will be done before the intervention, 15th day and after the intervention of 30 days.

Sample size : (n=100)

Randomization and Blinding:

• Subjects will be randomly divided (1:1 ratio) into Lavender group and Lemongrass group.
• Allocation concealment will be done using SNOSE (Sequentially Numbered Opaque Sealed Envelope) technique.
• Subjects and investigators will not be blinded in the study.

Primary Outcome:

• DASS-21 – Depression anxiety stress scale
• PSQI – Pittsburgh sleep quality index
• SLCT – Six letter cancellation task
• DLST - Digit letter substitution test

Secondary Outcome:

• BP – Blood pressure
• HR - Heart rate