Inhalation aromatherapy using citrus essential oils as a key component - Can it reduce stress and aid relaxation?

Fiona Hedigan, a Dublin based clinical aromatherapist was awarded a 4 year scholarship from the Irish Research Council to pursue a PhD programme in the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences in Trinity College Dublin. The purpose of her research is to examine the impact of an aromatherapy intervention on the levels of stress and anxiety in a clinical setting. The research is in two stages: an initial pre-clinical study conducted within a healthy young adult population and based on that experience, design and conduct a pilot study within a clinical setting. This research is the first of its kind to be conducted in Ireland.
Fiona's keen interest lies in exploring the psychological impact of inhalation aromatherapy, particularly focusing on the emerging evidence that aromatic compounds in specific essential oils can induce calming and anxiolytic effects. As part of her research, she includes the distilled oils of Citrus sinensis and Citrus aurantium L in the test formulation. Up until now, Fiona has successfully completed the initial phase of her research through two double-blind randomised controlled studies conducted in 2021 and 2022. These studies aimed to evaluate and assess the potential benefits of using an aromatherapy product to promote wellbeing and reduce stress and anxiety in a student population in Trinity College. Fiona will present the findings of both studies at Botanica2024.