Rodriguez-Labajos investigated the design of adult mental health inpatient facilities and their effects on patient outcomes via a literature review. They report that “several factors emerged as vital for the therapeutic environment in mental health inpatient facilities. These included personal spaces prioritizing privacy and control of the environment, daylight-optimized spaces, versatile communal areas promoting activities and interaction, designated areas for visits and spiritual/contemplative reflection, homelike environments, the inclusion of artwork in units, open nursing stations, and dedicated female-only areas. . . . This review offers initial guidance on designing mental health facilities that foster a therapeutic environment, while highlighting that the influence of facility design on mental health inpatients is considerably under-researched.”
Laura Rodriguez-Labajos, Joanne Kinloch, Susan Grant, and Geraldine O’Brien. 2024. “The Role of the Built Environment as a Therapeutic Intervention in Mental Health Facilities: A Systematic Literature Review.” HERD: Health Environments Research and Design Journal, https://doi.org/10.1177/19375867231219031