The effect of aromatherapy upon salivary cortisol, academic stress, academic self-efficacy and suicidal ideation in middle school students

This study was attempted in order to offer basic data, which are useful for understanding and guiding middle school students' behavior in the school field, to teachers and counselors by closely examining which influence the application of aromatherapy intervention targeting middle school students has upon academic stress, academic self-efficacy, suicidal ideation, and salivary cortisol. As this is a study in the randomized control group pre-post test design that applied with making aroma essential oil in the form of aroma stick so that continuous management can be easy, it proved the effective intervention method available for being used in alleviating academic stress and enhancing academic self-efficacy in middle school students by objectively verifying an effect of aroma essential oil. Also, a useful method was suggested that even the middle school students as the stressful youths can easily use with having an interest in own health promotion. The intervention of aromatherapy using aroma essential oil has significance in corresponding to a flow of stress and health management in modern times of pointing to a natural healing method focusing on a concept of wellbeing, and in offering a scientific basic of a complementary and alternative therapy