Aromatherapy to support mental health in women undergoing IVF

Aromatherapy for Mental Health Promotion in In Vitro Fertilization Patients: a Randomized Clinical Trial

This will test whether inhaling lavender oil twice daily can reduce anxiety, stress, and depression and improve quality of life for women awaiting IVF.

Quick facts

• Phase: NA
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 120 (estimated)
• Ages: 18 Years and up
• Sex: Female
• Sponsor: Federal University of Minas Gerais (other)
• Locations: 1 site (Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais)
• Trial ID: NCT07480668 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

This randomized, controlled trial will enroll 120 women on the IVF waiting list at Hospital das Clínicas da UFMG and randomize them to true lavender essential oil inhalation, a synthetic lavender placebo inhalation, or routine care. The active and placebo groups will use a personal nasal inhaler with five drops, inhaling for 15 minutes twice daily over four weeks. Outcomes include validated measures for anxiety, depression, stress (DASS-21), fertility-related quality of life (FertiQoL), insomnia (ISI), human flourishing, religiosity, pain VAS, general health (GHQ-12), and a qualitative questionnaire at baseline, week 4, and week 8. The protocol excludes patients with severe psychiatric or medical disorders, recent essential oil use, pregnancy, known lavender allergy, or recent use of psychoactive medications.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Women aged 18 or older with infertility who are on the IVF waiting list at HC-UFMG and have at least mild anxiety, stress, or depression symptoms and no lavender allergy are ideal candidates.

Not a fit: Patients with severe psychiatric or neurologic disorders, current use of anxiolytics/antidepressants or sleep medications, recent essential oil use, pregnancy, or known lavender allergy are unlikely to benefit or be eligible.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this could offer a low-cost, non-drug option to reduce emotional distress and improve quality of life for women waiting for IVF.

How similar studies have performed: Small randomized trials and reviews have reported modest short-term anxiety reduction with lavender aromatherapy, but high-quality evidence is limited and use specifically in IVF patients remains relatively novel.

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

* Female gender, age over 18 years.
* Diagnosis of infertility with indication for In Vitro Fertilization (IVF).
* Patients on the waiting list at HC-UFMG.
* Agreement not to practice other mind-body or herbal complementary therapies during the study.
* DASS-21 screening score compatible with at least mild anxiety, stress, and/or depression.
* No aversion to inhaling essential oil or synthetic lavender essence.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Severe neurological, psychiatric, or clinical disorders (e.g., schizophrenia, severe depression) that prevent participation.
* Use of medications that could confound the primary outcome (e.g., sleep medications, anxiolytics, antidepressants, neuroleptics) in the 30 days prior to or during the study.
* Known allergy to lavender products.
* Pregnancy during the study period.
* Use of essential oils in the last 90 days.

Where this trial is running

Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais

• Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology - Federal University of Minas Gerais - Brazil — Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil (RECRUITING)

Study contacts

• Principal investigator: Jhenifer K Rodrigues, PhD — POTENTIA - Technical, therapeutic, and human development consulting and advisory services
• Study coordinator: Rubens L C Tavares, MD, PhD

Conditions: Anxiety, Stress, Depression Disorder, Quality of Life, Aromatherapy, IVF, Complementary Therapies, Spirituality