Preoperative care through aromatherapy and music therapy: comparative study on anxiety and physiological indices in...

Preoperative anxiety is a significant concern, particularly among women undergoing procedures that may alter body image, such as a mastectomy. If untreated, this anxiety can lead to complications, underscoring its importance in preoperative care. Identifying nursing interventions with minimal side effects is crucial, given the potential of modern treatments to exacerbate anxiety. Therefore, this study aims to determine and compare the effect of aromatherapy and music therapy on physiological indices and preoperative anxiety of female mastectomy candidates.

A three-group randomized clinical trial was conducted on 99 female mastectomy candidates at the Cancer Institute of Imam Hospital, Tehran. Participants were selected using convenience sampling and randomly assigned to aromatherapy, music therapy, or control groups. The intervention included 30 min of receptive music therapy using selected pieces or inhalation aromatherapy with Damask rose, while the control group received usual nursing care. Anxiety levels were measured using the NVAAS scale and physiological indicators, including vital signs and salivary cortisol, before and 10 min after the intervention. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 16.

The findings of this research show that all groups experienced an improvement in anxiety scores, but the impact of the two intervention groups was more significant and effective (p < 0.001). Alterations in physiological indices showed no statistically significant difference in the control group (p > 0.05). Physiological indices variations, except SpO₂ (p > 0.05), indicate that both intervention groups were significant (p ≤ 0.05). Aromatherapy has also been effective in improving patients' heart rate (p = 0.004).

This study demonstrated that the use of two complementary medicine approaches, inhalation aromatherapy and receptive music therapy, can be effective in reducing preoperative anxiety in patients and improving physiological indices. Employing such noninvasive approaches with minimal side effects and favorable for patients in clinical settings is recommended.

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: IRCT20230221057482N1.