Effect of aromatherapy massage with lavender essential oil on sleep quality, pain, and mental and psychiatric disorders among breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy: a randomized controlled trial.

Objectives: To assess the effects of aromatherapy massage on sleep quality and mental and psychological disorders in breast cancer survivors (BCS) undergoing chemotherapy.

Methods: The study was a prospective, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Eligible breast cancer patients were enrolled in this study. Participants were randomly assigned to either the intervention group (received lavender aromatherapy) or the placebo group (received sweet almond oil massage). Aromatherapists focused their massage on specific areas of the body (from the lumbosacral area to the soles of the feet, and then from the shoulders to the palms of the hands). From baseline to four weeks after the intervention, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was used to assess sleep quality, the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) was used to assess pain response, the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score was used to assess cognitive function, the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) was used to assess anxiety, and the Beck Depression Inventory Second Version (BDI-II) was used to assess depression in patients. All statistical analyses were conducted using STATA software (version 16.0), with a P-value < 0.05 considered statistically significant.

Results: Ultimately, a total of 96 participants were divided into the intervention group (n = 47) and the placebo group (n = 51). The baseline characteristics were statistically comparable between the two groups. Statistically significant differences were observed in sleep quality scores (7.51 ± 2.90 vs 9.71 ± 2.67, P < 0.001), anxiety scores (20.26 ± 6.73 vs 24.10 ± 6.46, P = 0.005), and pain response (6.66 ± 1.45 vs 7.41 ± 1.19, P = 0.006) of the intervention group compared to the control group at the 4th week post-intervention. However, there was no significant difference in depression scores (29.43 ± 7.17 vs 30.88 ± 6.26, P = 0.286) and cognitive function scores (28.06 ± 1.55 vs 27.51 ± 1.97, P = 0.128) between the two groups.

Conclusion: Aroma massage with lavender essential oil may have a positive effect for BCS undergoing chemotherapy and warrants further promotion.

Trial registration: This trial was registered at www.

Clinicaltrials: gov (Registration Number: NCT06338527, Registration Date: March 28, 2024).