The effect of inhalation aromatherapy with lemon balm essential oil on perceived stress in infertile women undergoing in vitro fertilization: An RCT

Background: Women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment often experience a lot of stress during treatment cycles. One of the interventions in the field of stress reduction is aromatherapy. Lemon balm is a plant with antistress and antidepressant effects, but its effect on the perceived stress of infertile women has not been studied. Objective: Determining the effect of inhaled aromatherapy with lemon balm essential oil on perceived stress in infertile women undergoing IVF treatment. Materials and Methods: The present study was a randomized clinical trial with a pretest/posttest design. A total of 86 infertile women who referred to the Milad Infertility Center in Imam Reza hospital, Mashhad, Iran from July-October 2024 were selected using a convenient sampling method. Women were divided into 2 intervention and control groups using a 4-way random block method. The intervention group received inhaled aromatherapy with lemon balm essential oil for 2 wk, twice a day, in the morning and at night. The control group also received a placebo. The research tools included demographic questionnaires and the fertility-problem inventory. The participants’ stress levels were measured with fertility-problem inventory, and both groups completed questionnaires before and after the intervention. Results: Before the intervention, no significant difference was observed in the perceived stress variable between the intervention and control groups (p = 0.112), but after the intervention, a statistically significant difference was observed between the 2 groups (p < 0.001). Conclusion: The effect of aromatherapy with lemon balm essential oil reduces perceived stress in infertile women undergoing IVF treatment.