The effect of aromatherapy and music therapy on blood pressure and heart rate of nursing students before taking the exam

Anxiety associated with taking exams jeopardizes students' mental and physical health. Complementary alternative methods, such as aromatherapy and music therapy, have shown promise in reducing negative emotions among students. However, few studies have examined the effects of these interventions. This study aimed to investigate the effects of aromatherapy and music therapy on nursing students' blood pressure (BP) and heart rate before taking an exam. This quasi-experimental, double-blinded study was conducted in 2023 at the Nursing College of Abadan University of Medical Sciences in Abadan, Iran. The research included a total of 169 nursing students, who were randomly assigned to three groups: an aromatherapy group (n = 60), a music therapy group (n = 56), and a control group (n = 53). Aromatherapy was administered by inhaling lavender and damask rose essences, while music therapy involved listening to Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata." The control group received a placebo intervention consisting of cotton soaked in 10 drops of water. Each intervention lasted twenty minutes and was conducted in separate rooms before an exam. Students' heart rates and BP (both systolic and diastolic) were recorded before and after the intervention. The study showed remarkable effects of aromatherapy and music therapy on blood pressure and pulse rate. While systolic blood pressure (SBP) was similar in all groups at the beginning of the study (p = 0.205), SBP decreased significantly after the intervention (p = 0.016), especially in the aromatherapy (p = 0.003) and music therapy (p < 0.001) groups. Both interventions also significantly reduced diastolic blood pressure and pulse rate (p < 0.001) compared to baseline. However, except for SBP (p = 0.021), ANCOVA tests did not reveal significant differences between the study groups for diastolic blood pressure and pulse rate (p > 0.05). The reduction in students' systolic BP before exams, observed with complementary therapies like music therapy and aromatherapy using lavender and damask rose extracts, suggests a decrease in stress-related physiological responses, However, the specific link to exam-related anxiety requires further clarification.