Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42078180›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in digital health2026

Essential Oil-enhanced digital hypnotherapy for subclinical generalized anxiety: a study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Steven Ngandeu Schepanski, Martin Bogdanski, Cornelia Witt, Judith Czakert, Matthias Melzig, Julia Siewert, Wiebke Stritter, Steffen Schulz, Georg Seifert

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in digital health, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Steven Ngandeu SchepanskiCharité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charité Competence Center for Traditional and Integrative Medicine (CCCTIM), Berlin, Germany.
Martin BogdanskiCharité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charité Competence Center for Traditional and Integrative Medicine (CCCTIM), Berlin, Germany.
Cornelia WittCharité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charité Competence Center for Traditional and Integrative Medicine (CCCTIM), Berlin, Germany.
Judith CzakertCharité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charité Competence Center for Traditional and Integrative Medicine (CCCTIM), Berlin, Germany.
Matthias MelzigCharité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charité Competence Center for Traditional and Integrative Medicine (CCCTIM), Berlin, Germany.
Julia SiewertCharité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institute of Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics, Berlin, Germany.
Wiebke StritterCharité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charité Competence Center for Traditional and Integrative Medicine (CCCTIM), Berlin, Germany.
Steffen SchulzCharité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charité Competence Center for Traditional and Integrative Medicine (CCCTIM), Berlin, Germany.
Georg SeifertCharité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charité Competence Center for Traditional and Integrative Medicine (CCCTIM), Berlin, Germany.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Subsyndromal generalized anxiety is highly prevalent and associated with impaired well-being, elevated stress, and functional limitations, yet affected individuals often do not meet criteria for guideline-based treatment. Scalable, low-threshold digital interventions that target psychophysiological regulation may help address this gap. Guided self-hypnosis and aromatherapy using essential oils have each demonstrated anxiolytic and relaxation-promoting effects. Combining these approaches may enhance efficacy and allow for conditioning of relaxation responses via olfactory cues. Methods: This study protocol describes a randomized controlled trial evaluating the efficacy and conditioning potential of a digital self-hypnosis intervention combined with essential oil inhalation in adults with subsyndromal generalized anxiety. A total of Discussion: This study is expected to provide evidence on the efficacy of essential oil-enhanced digital hypnosis for subsyndromal anxiety and will examine whether repeated pairing of hypnosis and olfactory stimulation induces conditioned relaxation responses. If effective, this multimodal, low-intensity intervention could represent a scalable preventive approach for individuals with increased anxiety who are not receiving formal treatment and have been medically diagnosed.

Indexed as

aromatherapyautonomic nervous systemdigital self-hypnosise-mental health interventionheart rate variabilitypreventive mental healthrelaxation conditioningsubsyndromal anxiety

Identifiers

PMID42078180
PMCPMC13133025

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.