The Effectiveness of Juniper and Thyme Essential Oils in Reducing the Physiological Symptoms of Test Anxiety in Medical Students

Abstract

Objective: Medical students struggle with exam anxiety, which negatively affects cognitive and academic performance. Aromatherapy has become popular as an alternative to pharmacological treatments. This study examines how juniper and thyme essential oils psychophysiologically affect undergraduate students' exam anxiety. Juniper and thyme aroma inhalation was tested on asprosin, cyclic guanosine monophosphate response element binding protein (CREB), cortisol, and exam anxiety in students taking exams. Method: A random sample of 80 healthy students aged 18-25 from the Faculty of Medicine was collected during final exams. Participants were their own controls, and saliva was collected before and after aromatherapy. Saliva samples were tested for asprosin, CREB, and cortisol using ELISA. Heart rate, oxygen saturation, systolic pressure, diastolic pressure, and body temperature were monitored before and after aroma inhalation. Findings: According to the findings of this study, juniper and thyme aromatherapy were effective in increasing the average saliva levels of Asprosin, CREB, and cortisol hormones, with the most significant decrease observed in the groups receiving juniper aromatherapy (p<0.001). Juniper aromatherapy affected Systolic Blood Pressure (SBP) and Diastolic Blood Pressure (DBP) (p<0.05) but did not affect Heart Rate (HR), Peripheral Capillary Oxygen Saturation (SPO2), or temperature (p>0.05). Thyme aromatherapy did not affect SBP, DBP, HR, SPO2, or temperature. Conclusion: The limbic system, which controls memory and emotions, is linked to smell. Our study has provided original evidence that inhaling scents affects Asprosin, CREB, cortisol, and other physiological indicators in university students during exams, and offers supportive findings for alleviating exam anxiety.

Keywords

• Stress
• Aromatherapy
• Asprosin
• cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB)
• Cortisol.

Tıp Fakültesi Öğrencilerinde Sınav Kaygısının Fizyolojik Belirtilerini Azaltmada Ardıç ve Kekik Uçucu Yağlarının Etkinliği

Abstract

Amaç: Tıp öğrencileri, bilişsel ve akademik performansı olumsuz etkileyen sınav kaygısıyla mücadele etmektedir. Aromaterapi, farmakolojik tedavilere alternatif olarak popüler hale gelmektedir. Bu çalışma, ardıç ve kekik esansiyel yağlarının lisans öğrencilerinin sınav kaygısını psikofizyolojik olarak nasıl etkilediğini incelemektedir. Sınavlara giren öğrencilerde ardıç ve kekik aroması inhalasyonu asprosin, siklik guanozin monofosfat yanıt elementi bağlayıcı protein (CREB), kortizol ve sınav kaygısı üzerinde test edilmiştir. Yöntem: Tıp Fakültesi'nden 18-25 yaş arası 80 sağlıklı öğrencinin rastgele bir örneği, final sınavları sırasında toplanmıştır. Katılımcılar kendi kontrolleriydi ve aromaterapiden önce ve sonra tükürük alındı. Tükürük örnekleri ELISA kullanılarak Asprosin, CREB ve kortizol için test edildi. Kalp hızı, oksijen satürasyonu, sistolik basınç, diyastolik basınç ve vücut sıcaklığı aroma inhalasyonundan önce ve sonra izlenmiştir. Bulgular: Bu çalışmanın bulgularına göre, ardıç ve kekik aromaterapisinin tükürük ortalama Asprosin, CREB ve kortizol hormon düzeylerini artırmada etkili olduğu, en anlamlı düşüşün ise ardıç aromaterapisi alan gruplarda olduğu tespit edildi (p<0.001). Ardıç aromaterapi uygulaması Sistolik Kan Basıncı (SKB) ve Diyastolik Kan Basıncı (DKB)'yi etkilemiş (p<0.05) ancak Kalp Atım Hızı (KAH), Periferik Kapiller Oksijen Satürasyonu (SPO2) veya sıcaklığı etkilememiştir (p>0.05). Kekik aromaterapisi SBP, DBP, HR, SPO2 veya sıcaklığı etkilememiştir (p>0.05). Sonuç: Hafıza ve duyguları kontrol eden limbik sistem koku ile bağlantılıdır. Çalışmamız, koku inhalasyonunun sınav sırasında üniversite öğrencilerinde Asprosin, CREB, kortizol ve diğer fizyolojik göstergeleri etkilediğine dair özgün kanıtlar ortaya koymuştur ve sınav kaygısının giderilmesinde destekleyici bulgular sunmaktadır.

Keywords

• Stres
• Aromaterapi
• Asprosin
• cAMP yanıt elementi bağlayıcı protein (CREB)
• Kortizol.

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