But that doesn’t mean people living with schizophrenia or any mental health condition can’t benefit from using complementary therapies in addition to their drugs. One of those therapies that may be worth trying is aromatherapy, says Heidi Chesla, a medical aromatherapy specialist in and around Baltimore and an instructor to physicians at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. The sense of smell has a direct connection to certain parts of the brain, Chesla explains, noting that the smell of intense smoke, for instance, can immediately trigger a stress response and, alternatively, that the smell of a rosebush can calm our emotions. In addition, chemical constituents within the scented oils used in aromatherapy, known as essential oils, are also believed to cause physiological responses in the body. While these effects can benefit everyone, they might be especially helpful for people with mental health disorders like schizophrenia, Chesla says.
What Is Schizophrenia?
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, schizophrenia is a rare condition that affects about 1 percent of the population. The disease typically begins in young adulthood and involves a number of serious symptoms. These include what experts call “positive” symptoms, such as delusions, hallucinations, and dysfunctional thinking, and “negative” symptoms, like feeling less pleasure about life or having trouble starting or sustaining activities. Some people also suffer cognitive symptoms that affect memory, focus, and decision-making. Treatments for schizophrenia aim to relieve these debilitating symptoms. They include antipsychotic medication and psychotherapy to develop coping skills. Clinical trials continue to search for a cure for this condition, but so far it has been elusive.
What Is Aromatherapy, and How Is It Used?
Aromatherapy is the technique of using essential oils pressed from plants to help your mind and your body. These oils are often found beneath the surface of the plant’s leaves, bark, or peel. Different plants produce vastly different oils, which are said to have varying effects on the mind and body, depending on which oil is used. Essential oils can be taken in a number of ways. Most common are inhaling the scent, mixing the oils into a massage cream and rubbing it onto the skin, or soaking in water that is infused with one or more oil. Although aromatherapy is not a treatment for schizophrenia or other mental conditions, people who have mental illness might find relief in using it to support their symptoms and their general lifestyle, which can help them feel better, Chesla says.
Studies on Aromatherapy and Mood
No researcher has directly tested aromatherapy’s effects in people who have schizophrenia. But there have been small studies assessing the impact of essential oils on general mood and on sleep, which is often a problem for people with the condition. For example, 60 patients in Turkey were hospitalized in the intensive care unit for serious heart disease and were therefore anxious. Half were given lavender essential oil to inhale for two weeks. Afterward, they were found to have less anxiety and better sleep quality than those not given the oil, according to a study published in March 2017 in Nursing in Critical Care. And when researchers in Iran looked at four prior studies of the psychological effects of aromatherapy in older women, they concluded that aromatherapy massage does help improve psychological symptoms like anxiety and depression. However, the scientists were careful to note in their review, published in the August 2018 issue of the Journal of Menopausal Medicine, that people should not consider aromatherapy on its own to be an effective treatment for these conditions.
Quality of Essential Oils Is Key
For aromatherapy to have its intended effect, it is important that you select the appropriate oils. This begins with taking special care to buy from a manufacturer who is concerned about quality. “So much that is marketed as essential oils are actually not from plants but are man-made synthetic fragrances that are not good for us,” Chesla says. Or, she cautions, some companies name an essential oil on their label, but inside they have substituted oil from a cheaper plant instead. Because manufacturers generally do not make claims that essential oils can treat or cure specific medical conditions, they are not considered to be drugs by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and so these products are not regulated by the FDA. As a result, “if you grab a cheap bottle of oil from a grocery store, it is unlikely to be of high enough quality to give you the results you want,” Chesla cautions.
How to Assess Essential Oil Quality
Companies that take quality control seriously will have an independent third-party examine each batch of oil as it is made, Chesla says. Then they will release the results of these tests, either on their website or by phone if you call them. These tests, known as gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) reports, reveal how much of each bioactive compound is present in the oil. Identification numbers for the test results should correspond to numbers stamped on your bottle. And because oil can degrade, top products also print an expiration date on the label, she says. Even if you don’t understand the GC-MS results, the fact that the company does this testing is a positive sign. Plus, Chesla says, you can take the reports to your doctor, who will likely be able to recognize the chemical components, such as methyl salicylate (also a metabolite of aspirin), which is found in wintergreen oil.
Essential Oils That May Help People With Schizophrenia
When it comes to mental health, Chesla generally recommends essential oils that can calm or energize you, or that might help you sleep. For soothing your mind, Chesla’s two favorites are lavender and frankincense, either used alone or combined together. To enhance sleep, Chesla suggests trying lavender, sandalwood, or vetiver, which is oil from the root of a grassy plant of the same name found in Haiti and other countries. (Again, these can be taken alone or in combination.) And during the day, if you find your mind and emotions flagging, you want oils known for their energizing properties. Two she especially likes are wild orange and peppermint. You can place drops of one or more of these essential oils in an aromatherapy diffuser that spreads them into the air. You can also add them to a massage oil and slather it on your skin (Chesla especially likes fractionated coconut oil because it has a long shelf life), or simply sniff them from the bottle.
Are Essential Oils Safe?
Essential oils are generally considered to be safe, especially when they are used as directed. Some allergic reactions or skin irritation can possibly occur, which is why it is important that you dilute the oils if you plan to massage them onto your skin. Still, anything that gets into your body can have risks, especially if you are on other medication. “I always recommend that people let their doctors know that they are using essential oils,” Chesla says.
Find an Aromatherapy Practitioner
You can find certified aromatherapists on either of the websites of two national organizations, the National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy and the Alliance of International Aromatherapists. Some practitioners combine aromatherapy training with another health field, so it’s not uncommon for you to run into a nurse, acupuncturist, massage therapist, or other health professional who also practices aromatherapy.
