Effect of Lavender Oil on Social Anxiety Among First-Year College Students

Abstract

Background: In order to build learning environments that support both academic and psychological growth, it is important to recognize and manage social anxiety, a problem that is frequently experienced by first-year students in educational settings. Objective: The aim of this study is to assess effectiveness of lavender oil on social anxiety among first-year college students. Methods: A quasi-experimental research design was employed. The 100 samples selected using the non-probability purposive selection strategy. The instrument has two sections: demographic information and the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale. Results: The results reveal that in the pretest, 70 (70%) had no anxiety, 12 (12%) had mild anxiety, and 18 (18%) had moderate anxiety, while in the post-test, 85 (85%) had no anxiety, 13 (13%) had mild anxiety, and 2 (2%) had moderate anxiety among first-year students. Students had a mean anxiety score of 37.90 ± 8.59 before and 21.53 ± 5.79 after the test. The mean difference score was 16.37, while the mean difference percentage was 41%. The estimated paired “t”-test result of t = 16.209 was found to be statistically significant at P < 0.001. This demonstrates that the lavender oil on social anxiety administered to students was effective in lowering anxiety levels during the post-test. Conclusion: Lavender oil is a promising natural treatment for social anxiety, providing a simple and accessible option with little side effects.

Keywords

• aromatherapy
• college students
• lavender oil
• social anxiety