Summary
Lavender oil has reached Preclinical as its most advanced recorded development stage across any indication, and the database holds no approval for Anxiety Disorders. ClinicalTrials.gov lists 8 registered trials linking Lavender oil to Anxiety Disorders: 2 are active or not yet recruiting; 6 have completed. None of the registered studies carries a drug-development phase label, which is typical for behavioural, device and supplement protocols. It plans or enrolled 350 participants. Registration activity spans 2013 to 2025. The literature layer holds 9 publications for this pair: 1 Cochrane review, 3 meta-analyses and 5 clinical trial publications. Publication years run from 2010 to 2023. Because at least one synthesis-level source exists (systematic review, meta-analysis or Cochrane review), this pair has been assessed beyond single studies, although the synthesis may concern a different indication.
The RepurpOS disease-intelligence file for Anxiety ranks 535 candidate therapeutics from Open Targets, ChEMBL, DGIdb and PubMed; only a minority carry direct clinical evidence, and this page covers one of those. Spontaneous remission context recorded for the condition: GAD: spontaneous remission in ~25-30% at 1 year without treatment; social anxiety: 36% remission at 12 years untreated; panic disorder: 50-65% spontaneous partial remission but relapse common; 40-60% remain symptomatic at 5 years.
Evidence table
| Evidence tier | C · Preliminary |
|---|---|
| Evidence score | 52.0 (trials 20.0, literature 27.0, tier 5, approved bonus 0.0) |
| Registered trials | 8 total: 0 recruiting, 2 active / not yet recruiting, 6 completed, 0 other |
| Linked publications | 9 (5 clinical trial publications, 3 meta-analyses, 1 Cochrane review) |
| Agent type | Supplement (Herbal) |
| Development stage (any indication) | Preclinical |
| Mechanism / class | Anxiety: a look at epidemiological factors and alternate treatments · Halma M, Covarrubias A, Selem E, Varon J · 2025 |
| Data sources | OSMF Chronic Disease Review |
How the evidence score is calculated
- Each registered trial scores by status (recruiting / active / enrolling 3, completed 2.5, not yet recruiting 2, unknown 1, terminated / withdrawn / suspended 0.5) plus a phase bonus (phase 3-4 +2, phase 2 +1, phase 1 +0.5). The trial component is capped at 30.
- Each literature item scores by design (Cochrane review 5, meta-analysis 4, systematic review 3, RCT 3, clinical trial publication 2, curated reference 1.5, other PubMed record 1). The literature component is capped at 30.
- The existing evidence tier adds 15 (A / Strong), 10 (B / Moderate), 5 (C / Preliminary) or 0 (D / Anecdotal).
- Agents approved for any indication (max clinical phase 4) add 5, because an approved agent has an established safety profile that lowers the barrier to repurposing trials.
- The score ranks what has been studied, not what works. It does not read effect sizes or directions of effect.
Registered clinical trials
| NCT ID | Title | Status | Phase | Enrolment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCT06949293 | The Effect of Classical Hand Massage, Lavender Inhalation and Hand Massage With Lavender on Anxiety, Pain and Comfort 2024 | active, not recruiting | Not applicable | 144 |
| NCT06066073 | "Pain and Emotional Changes on Relationships Between Anxiety and Olfaction" 2017 | completed | Not applicable | 350 |
| NCT05369936 | Pain Perception: on Relationships Between Dental Anxiety and Olfaction 2018 | completed | Not applicable | 350 |
| NCT01809067 | The Effects of Lavender Aromatherapy on Reducing Stress and Anxiety During MRI Procedures. 2013 | completed | Not applicable | 60 |
| NCT06769503 | Effect of Aromatherapy on Anxiety in Relatives of Emergency Patients. 2025 | completed | Not applicable | 120 |
| NCT06241495 | Aromatherapy in Providing a Semen Sample 2024 | completed | Not applicable | 102 |
| NCT06045078 | Aromatherapy in Total Knee Replacement 2023 | completed | Not applicable | 30 |
| NCT06598904 | The Effect of Aromatherapy for First Dental Visit Patients 2024 | not yet recruiting | Not applicable | 120 |
Published literature
- Clinical trial publication The Effect of Precolonoscopy Lavender Inhalation on Patient Anxiety and Comfort: A Randomized, Controlled, Double-Blinded, Single-Center StudySayilan S, Sayilan AA, Mert S et al. · Gastroenterology nursing : the official journal of the Society of Gastroenterology Nurses and Associates · 2023 · PMID 37289849
- Cochrane review Effects of lavender on anxiety: A systematic review and meta-analysisDonelli D, Antonelli M, Bellinazzi C et al. · Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology · 2019 · PMID 31655395
- Meta-analysis How Strong is the Evidence for the Anxiolytic Efficacy of Lavender?: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled TrialsKang HJ, Nam ES, Lee Y et al. · Asian nursing research · 2019 · PMID 31743795
- Meta-analysis Efficacy of Silexan in subthreshold anxiety: meta-analysis of randomised, placebo-controlled trialsMöller HJ, Volz HP, Dienel A et al. · European archives of psychiatry and clinical neuroscience · 2019 · PMID 29150713
- Clinical trial publication Silexan does not cause withdrawal symptoms even when abruptly discontinuedGastpar M, Müller WE, Volz HP et al. · International journal of psychiatry in clinical practice · 2017 · PMID 28319423
- Meta-analysis Lavender Oil Preparation (Silexan) for Treating Anxiety: An Updated Meta-AnalysisGeneroso MB, Soares A, Taiar IT et al. · Journal of clinical psychopharmacology · 2017 · PMID 27861196
- Clinical trial publication Lavender oil preparation Silexan is effective in generalized anxiety disorder--a randomized, double-blind comparison to placebo and paroxetineKasper S, Gastpar M, Müller WE et al. · The international journal of neuropsychopharmacology · 2014 · PMID 24456909
- Clinical trial publication Silexan, an orally administered Lavandula oil preparation, is effective in the treatment of 'subsyndromal' anxiety disorder: a randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled trialKasper S, Gastpar M, Müller WE et al. · International clinical psychopharmacology · 2010 · PMID 20512042
- Clinical trial publication A multi-center, double-blind, randomised study of the Lavender oil preparation Silexan in comparison to Lorazepam for generalized anxiety disorderWoelk H, Schläfke S · Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology · 2010 · PMID 19962288
Mechanism and notes
Recorded mechanism or class: Anxiety: a look at epidemiological factors and alternate treatments · Halma M, Covarrubias A, Selem E, Varon J · 2025.
OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is C (Preliminary), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in OSMF Chronic Disease Review. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.
Frequently asked questions
Is Lavender oil approved for Anxiety Disorders?
Lavender oil has reached Preclinical as its most advanced recorded development stage across any indication, and the database holds no approval for Anxiety Disorders. Approval status for the specific indication should always be confirmed with the relevant regulator and prescribing information.
Is Lavender oil in clinical trials for Anxiety Disorders?
ClinicalTrials.gov lists 8 registered trials linking Lavender oil to Anxiety Disorders: 2 are active or not yet recruiting; 6 have completed. None of the registered studies carries a drug-development phase label, which is typical for behavioural, device and supplement protocols. It plans or enrolled 350 participants. Registration activity spans 2013 to 2025.
What does the evidence show for Lavender oil in Anxiety Disorders?
Lavender oil has both completed registered trials and synthesis-level publications linked to Anxiety Disorders. That is the strongest profile in this database, but the summaries here do not extract effect sizes, so read the linked reviews for direction and magnitude of benefit. OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is C (Preliminary), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in OSMF Chronic Disease Review. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.
Cite this page
Data: ClinicalTrials.gov, PubMed, Open Targets, ChEMBL, DGIdb and the OSMF therapeutic agent database. Last updated 2026-07-05. Page built 2026-10-07.