Breeden 1 Aromatherapy as a Complementary Therapy in Psychiatric Care: Pilot Study on Two North, Institute of Psychiatry

Complementary therapies, such as aromatherapy, are being used more and more frequently. But what is the significance of this? Do they work? What are their costs? Side effects? Benefits? Through researching aromatherapy and other complementary therapies, more can be learned about how these therapies work and how they can be applied to psychiatric care. “Complementary therapy” is defined by Bennett et al. as a method used with “conventional therapy”, as opposed to an “alternative therapy” which would be used in place of conventional medicine (Bennett, 2009). Holistic nursing is the perfect place to begin employing this integrative medicine with the combination of conventional and alternative techniques. As many complementary therapies are inexpensive and lower stress 1 , they can shorten stays for patients and thereby reduce costs for hospitals and residential treatment facilities. Aromatherapy, defined as, “the controlled use of the extracted essential oils from plants in order to maintain and/or improve the health of mind, body and spirit,” is one such therapy (Genders, 2006). It can be used through massage (infused with the oil), compress, inhalation/vaporization, or bath; however it is most often administered through inhalation or massage. Studies on aromatherapy have suggested that it can improve both physiological conditions, such as heart rate (Shu-Ming et al., 2009), as well as some psychological ailments,