Effects of Echium amoenum Extract and Lavender Flora on the Anxiety of the Older Adult: A Parallel Randomized Clinical Trial

Authors
Hossein Bagheri
Elham Vahidpour
Shahrbanoo Goli
Mohammadreza Ameri
Mohammad Reza Khatibi
10.61186/ibj.25th-11th-IACRTIMSS
Abstract
Introduction: Older adults are at the highest risk of declining physical, mental, and cognitive abilities, among which anxiety is one vital complication. This study was conducted to compare the effectiveness of Echium amoenum and lavender extract on the stress of older adults.

Methods and Materials: In this randomized controlled trial, 189 older adults aged 60-86 were selected using a block size 6. They were then divided into three groups: Echium amoenum (n = 63), lavender (n = 63), and control (n = 63). In the Echium amoenum group, participants were asked to take a 250 mg capsule of Echium amoenum every eight hours. In the lavender group, participants were instructed to apply three drops of lavender flora onto a non-absorbable napkin and attach it to their left shoulder.

Results: The changes in the mean anxiety levels between the first two study groups were not significant (p = 0.34). However, both intervention groups showed a significant difference in anxiety compared to the control group (p = 0.05).

Conclusion and Discussion: Echium amoenum and lavender extract can be complementary methods to reduce anxiety.


Keywords
Adult
Anxiety
Clinical trial