Aromatherapy to Address Psychological Distress in Emergency Department Patients.

NCT07328412 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 2025P002810
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 60
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to understand the feasibility and acceptability of a brief aromatherapy session for reducing stress, anxiety, and improving patient satisfaction among emergency department patients. The main question the study aims to answer is: Is the intervention acceptable and feasible? Participants in the intervention group will receive a lavender-scented tube and smell it for about 5 minutes. Participants in the control group will receive an unscented tube and follow the same instructions.

Conditions

Aromatherapy; Anxiety; Stress; Emergency Department

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Acceptability of intervention via AIM

  Acceptability will be assessed via the Acceptability of Intervention Measure (AIM). AIM is a 4-item Likert agreeability scale ranging from 1 (Completely disagree) to 5 (Completely agree). A mean score is calculated, resulting in a continuous score with higher scores indicating greater intervention acceptability.

  day 1

• Usability of intervention via SUS

  Usability will be assessed via an adapted, validated 2-item version of the System Usability Scale (SUS). Each item is rated on a 5-point Likert scale from 1 (Strongly disagree) to 5 (Strongly agree). The mean score of each item will be calculated and entered into a validated regression equation to estimate the full SUS score, which ranges from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating greater usability.

  day 1

Study Arms (2)

Aromatherapy Group

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants will receive a lavender-scented tube to inhale for 5 minutes.

Other: Lavender Aromatherapy

Control Group

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Participants will receive an unscented tube to inhale for 5 minutes.

Other: Unscented Aromatherapy

Interventions

Lavender Aromatherapy OTHER

A diffuser tube containing a cotton wick infused with 5 drops of lavender essential oil.

Aromatherapy Group

Unscented Aromatherapy OTHER

A diffuser tube containing a cotton wick saturated with 10 drops of water.

Control Group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Adults ≥18 years of age
• Admitted to the BWH Emergency Department (ED) Observation Unit
• Able to provide written informed consent
• Willing to participate in a 1-hour aromatherapy session

You may not qualify if:

• Acutely ill and unable to be approached for research, as determined by the treating medical team and/or physician investigator
• Active gastrointestinal problems at the time of enrollment (e.g., nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramping, diarrhea), as determined by the treating team and/or physician investigator.
• Pregnancy or breastfeeding
• Current or planned treatment using sedating medications
• History of, or current presentation with, significant cognitive impairment or acute delirium that would preclude informed consent or participation
• Currently receiving supplemental oxygen
• Acute exacerbation of asthma or COPD
• Admission for an acute upper or lower respiratory tract illness (e.g., pneumonia, bronchitis, influenza, COVID-19)
• Known allergy or sensitivity to lavender
• Documented history of anosmia (loss of smell)
• Documented hypotension during current ED presentation, defined as systolic blood pressure \<90 mmHg
• Assigned clinical staff (physician, nurse, or other healthcare provider) with fragrance sensitivity prior to consent
• Concurrent enrollment in another interventional drug or behavioral trial
• Any condition that, in the judgment of the treating team or physician investigator, would make study participation unsafe or inappropriate.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Brigham and Women's Hospital: lead

Study Sites (1)

Brigham and Women's Hospital

Boston, Massachusetts, 02115, United States

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Anxiety Disorders; Emergencies

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Mental Disorders; Disease Attributes; Pathologic Processes; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Study Officials

• Peter Chai, MD, MMS

  Brigham and Women's Hospital

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: SUPPORTIVE CARE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Associate Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: December 1, 2025
• First Posted: January 9, 2026
• Study Start: February 2, 2026
• Primary Completion: April 13, 2026
• Study Completion: April 13, 2026
• Last Updated: April 28, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-04

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (1)