Original Article(s)
4 March 2025
Vol. 13 (2025)
https://doi.org/10.4081/wpph.2025.10155

Efficacy of lavender essential oil aromatherapy in reducing anxiety and pain in patients undergoing prostate biopsy: an interventional study

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Lavender essential oil, pain, prostate biopsy
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Authors

Tatiana Bolgeo
Research Training Innovation Infrastructure, Research and Innovation Department (DAIRI), Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria SS. Antonio e Biagio e Cesare Arrigo, Alessandria, Italy.
Roberta Di Matteo
rdimatteo@ospedale.al.it
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8249-8284
Research Training Innovation Infrastructure, Research and Innovation Department (DAIRI), Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria SS. Antonio e Biagio e Cesare Arrigo, Alessandria, Italy.
Menada Gardalini
Research Training Innovation Infrastructure, Research and Innovation Department (DAIRI), Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria SS. Antonio e Biagio e Cesare Arrigo, Alessandria, Italy.
Salvatore Cotroneo
SC Urology, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria SS. Antonio e Biagio e Cesare Arrigo, Alessandria, Italy.
Andrea Di Stasio
SC Urology, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria SS. Antonio e Biagio e Cesare Arrigo, Alessandria, Italy.
Armando Serao
SC Urology, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria SS. Antonio e Biagio e Cesare Arrigo, Alessandria, Italy.
Antonio Maconi
Director of the Research Training Innovation Infrastructure, Research and Innovation Department (DAIRI), Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria SS. Antonio e Biagio e Cesare Arrigo, Alessandria, Italy.

Background: prostate biopsy can cause physical and psychological discomfort, such as pain and anxiety. Aromatherapy with lavender oil has been suggested to reduce these symptoms. This study evaluated the effectiveness of lavender essential oil aromatherapy in reducing anxiety and pain in patients undergoing prostate biopsy.

Materials and Methods: multicentre, randomised, non-pharmacological trial involving 50 patients. The experimental group (n=25) received lavender aromatherapy before surgery, while the control group (n=25) received standard care. Anxiety was measured with the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A), pain with the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS), and patient satisfaction with a Likert scale.

Results: the lavender group showed a significant reduction in anxiety (10 points vs 3 points in the control group). Pain decreased significantly in the lavender group (from 6.2 to 2.1, p<0.05) and in the control group (from 6.0 to 4.5). Patient satisfaction was higher in the lavender group (mean 8.7 vs 6.3, p<0.05).

Conclusions: aromatherapy with lavender oil significantly reduces anxiety and pain during prostate biopsy, improving patient satisfaction.

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How to Cite



Efficacy of lavender essential oil aromatherapy in reducing anxiety and pain in patients undergoing prostate biopsy: an interventional study. (2025). Working Paper of Public Health, 13. https://doi.org/10.4081/wpph.2025.10155
Copyright (c) 2025 Tatiana Bolgeo, Roberta Di Matteo, Menada Gardalini, Salvatore Cotroneo, Andrea Di Stasio, Armando Serao, Antonio Maconi Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.