Effects of Inhalation Aromatherapy With Rosa damascena (Damask Rose) on the State Anxiety and Sleep Quality of Operating Room Personnel During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Randomized Controlled Trial

PURPOSE: Although aromatherapy with damask rose can reduce anxiety and improve sleep quality in different conditions, no study has yet addressed its effects among operating room (OR) personnel. Considering the high level of workload among Iranian OR personnel during the COVID-19 pandemic which can affect their anxiety and sleep quality, this study evaluated the effects of damask rose aromatherapy on state anxiety and sleep quality among a population of Iranian OR personnel during the COVID-19 pandemic. DESIGN: A randomized, nonblinded, parallel-group controlled trial. METHODS: Eighty OR personnel were divided into the two groups of damask rose and placebo (paraffin oil) using the stratified randomization method. In the first aromatherapy session, the participants inhaled two drops of either damask rose oil or paraffin oil for 10 minutes at the beginning of their morning shift. Then, they attached an absorbent cloth napkin impregnated with 5 drops of products to the side of their pillow for 30 consecutive nights. The Spielberger state anxiety inventory (SAI) and the Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) were completed before random allocation (T1) and on the 31st day of the study (T3). Also, the SAI was completed 90 minutes after the end of the first aromatherapy session (T2). FINDINGS: The mean changes in the SAI score were significant compared to T1 both at T2 and T3 in favor of the damask rose group (P < .001 in two cases). Similarly, the mean change in PSQI score was significant compared to T1 at T3 in favor of the damask rose group (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Damask rose can be effective in reducing state anxiety and improving sleep quality of OR personnel. Further studies are needed to determine the generalizability of the findings.