AROMATERAPIA INALATÓRIA PARA A REDUÇÃO DA ANSIEDADE: UMA REVISÃO SISTEMÁTICA

Abstract

Introduction: Anxiety is a normal emotional state, and it can become pathological when it is disproportionate to the triggering situation. It is characterized by avoidance behavior, increased alertness, activation of the sympathetic division of the visceral nervous system (NVS), and cortisol release. Anxiety disorder is the second most disabling factor in most countries in the Americas and is one of the most frequent diseases in the Primary Care of the Unified Health System (Sistema Único de Saúde/SUS) in Brazil. Anxiolytics are drugs used to treat anxiety, however they have adverse effects, which has motivated research into alternative and complementary medicine. In this sense, aromatherapy stands out, based on the use of essential oils extracted from vegetables with the aim of interacting with the body and modifying behavior and emotions. Objective: To systematically review the existing scientific literature on the effectiveness of inhaled aromatherapy in reducing anxiety in experimental studies with adults. Data source: Systematic search of articles published in the last 10 years in English, available in electronic databases: Biblioteca Virtual de Saúde BVS (Medline / Lilacs), PubMed, Science Direct, APA PsycNet and Scopus. Eligibility criteria: 1) clinical studies with adults, 2) studies that present anxiety as the object of the study 2) inhalation as a mode of administration, 3) articles published in English, 4) The exclusion criteria were literature review and meta- analyses. Results: 34 articles met all criteria, and 28 clinical trials showed efficacy of inhaled aromatherapy with essential oils to reduce anxiety. 37% of surveys looked at lavender essential oil, 21% looked at orange essential oil, and 19% looked at damask rose. Conclusions: An inhaled aromatherapy with essential oils is effective to reduce anxiety in 82% of the studies provided. It is a therapy that is easy to apply and inexpensive. The heterogeneity of studies regarding the concentration of essential oils, dosage and duration of treatment is a challenge for data analysis.