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There are clear perceived benefits with each of the different practices. A large part of mental health

treatment is a belief in the efficacy of one’s treatment. Looking specifically at the herbs category, one can see

that almost half of those who utilized herbs felt an increased emotional calmness. This will be a theme seen in

the current research of certain essential oils and in the marketing of essential oil companies.

One thing to remember about CAM is that there are still possible dangers and side effects. For

example, a potential concern discovered in the earlier study on CAM use in youth with mental health concerns

is that “the higher rate of CAM use among those with chronic health conditions taking prescription

medications raises the potential for medication and biologically-based supplement (e.g. herb) interactions,

compounding or nullifying effects, or misattribution of effects.” (Kemper et al., 2013, p. 6). Just because a

treatment is deemed natural, does not mean that it cannot cause side effects or problems.

ESSENTIAL OILS

The United States has experienced a recent boom in the essential oils market partially due to an unmet

desire for natural medicine and partially because of strategic marketing. Looking at the current research on

essential oils and mental health is underwhelming. There are very few controlled, randomized studies looking

at the effect of various oils on anxiety and depression. Most of the research is done specifically on the

aromatherapy aspect of these oils, even though “[e]ssential oils can be absorbed into the body in three ways:

(i) through the olfactory and respiratory systems (vapour inhalation); (ii) transdermally via lotions or

compresses, often involving massage and during bathing; or (iii) orally, via ingestion of essential oils in

capsules or as additives to food or medical preparations” (Perry & Perry, 2006, p. 258).

In regard to the alleviation of depressive symptoms, the use of essential oils has mixed and conflicting

results (Vidaña et al., 2017). Looking at specific oils, “[l]avender, bergamot, and sandalwood have shown to

improve depressive symptoms while yuzu alleviates negative emotional stress” (Vidaña et al., 2017, p. 17).

Additionally, one controlled trial of 20 men with depression who were exposed to citrus fragrance saw that the

“dose of antidepressant drugs was significantly reduced in the active treatment group” (Perry & Perry, 2006,

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