Yim, V., Ng, A., Tsang, H., & Leung, A.Y. (2009). A review on the effects of aromatherapy for patients with depressive symptoms. Journal of Alternative & Complementary Medicine, 15(2), 187–195.
To complete a systematic review of the effects of aromatherapy on patients with symptoms of depression
Authors did not mention the phase of care.
Aromatherapy has an alleviation effect on the mood of patients with depressive symptoms; however, there is a notable lack of studies on the use of aromatherapy by people with depression. Almost all the studies use aromatherapy massage and not aromatherapy alone, so whether the effects are from the aroma intervention, the massage intervention, or a combination of the two remains unclear.
Of the six studies, the sample size of three included eight participants or fewer. The size of the others was 36, 42 and 288, respectively. In addition to being small, the samples did not necessarily include cancer patients. These studies were inconsistent and used various oils for the aromatherapy.
The evidence is insufficient to support recommendations for the use of aromatherapy for the treatment of depression. Aromatherapy may, however, be used as complementary and alternative therapy for depression and be considered as a treatment for depression in patients with secondary depression arising from chronic medical conditions.