Pengaruh Teh Daun Lemon Myrtle terhadap Perubahan Derajat Kecemasan pada Mahasiswa Fakultas Kedokteran Universitas Muhammadiyah Surabaya

Kecemasan merupakan salah satu gangguan mental yang banyak dialami mahasiswa, terutama akibat tekanan akademik, tuntutan tugas, serta ketidakpastian masa depan. Penanganan kecemasan umumnya dilakukan secara farmakologis, namun penggunaan obat-obatan dapat menimbulkan efek samping dan ketergantungan sehingga diperlukan alternatif terapi nonfarmakologis yang lebih aman. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui pengaruh konsumsi teh daun Lemon Myrtle terhadap perubahan derajat kecemasan pada mahasiswa Fakultas Kedokteran Universitas Muhammadiyah Surabaya. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode Randomized Double Blind Pre and Post Test Control Group Design dengan jumlah sampel sebanyak 34 responden yang dibagi menjadi dua kelompok, yaitu kelompok perlakuan dan kelompok kontrol. Kelompok perlakuan diberikan teh daun Lemon Myrtle, sedangkan kelompok kontrol diberikan corn tea selama tujuh hari. Tingkat kecemasan diukur menggunakan kuesioner Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), disertai pengukuran tekanan darah dan denyut nadi. Analisis data dilakukan menggunakan uji Mann–Whitney dan Independent Sample t-test. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan adanya penurunan tingkat kecemasan yang signifikan pada kelompok perlakuan dibandingkan kelompok kontrol dengan nilai p < 0,001. Selain itu, terjadi penurunan tekanan darah sistolik, diastolik, dan denyut nadi secara signifikan pada kelompok perlakuan. Kandungan citral dan flavonoid dalam Lemon Myrtle diduga berperan dalam memberikan efek relaksasi melalui modulasi neurotransmiter GABA. Kesimpulan penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa konsumsi teh daun Lemon Myrtle berpengaruh signifikan terhadap penurunan derajat kecemasan dan perubahan fisiologis pada mahasiswa Fakultas Kedokteran Universitas Muhammadiyah Surabaya.

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Anxiety is one of the most prevalent mental health disorders among university students, particularly due to academic pressure, demanding coursework, and uncertainty regarding future careers. Anxiety management is commonly carried out through pharmacological approaches; however, prolonged use of medication may lead to adverse side effects and drug dependency, highlighting the need for safer non-pharmacological alternatives. This study aimed to investigate the effect of Lemon Myrtle (Backhousia citriodora) leaf tea consumption on changes in anxiety levels among students of the Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Muhammadiyah Surabaya. This study employed a randomized double-blind pre-test and post-test control group design involving 34 respondents who were randomly assigned into treatment and control groups. The treatment group received Lemon Myrtle leaf tea, whereas the control group received corn tea for seven consecutive days. Anxiety levels were assessed using the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) questionnaire, accompanied by measurements of blood pressure and pulse rate. Data were analyzed using the Mann–Whitney test and the Independent Sample t-test. The findings demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in anxiety levels in the treatment group compared with the control group (p < 0.001). In addition, significant reductions in systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and pulse rate were observed among participants who consumed Lemon Myrtle tea. The anxiolytic effect of Lemon Myrtle is presumed to be associated with its bioactive compounds, particularly citral and flavonoids, which may promote relaxation through modulation of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) neurotransmitter activity. In conclusion, the consumption of Lemon Myrtle leaf tea significantly reduced anxiety levels and improved physiological parameters among medical students at Universitas Muhammadiyah Surabaya.
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