SynthesisHERD2024
The Role of the Built Environment as a Therapeutic Intervention in Mental Health Facilities: A Systematic Literature Review.
Synthesis in HERD, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled 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.
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.
Who cites it
9 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 15 citations in OpenAlex.
- Pooled it
- Evaluation of the impact of an interdisciplinary team scheduling model on psychological outcomes in patients with decompensated cirrhosis.World journal of hepatology · 2026Trial
- A study on the coupling mechanism between the urban environment and depression perception based on deep learning and street view image.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Beyond Satisfaction: Person-Centred Care and the Physical Environment Revisited-An Integrative Review.Nursing open · 2026Review
- "The physical environment is so important, but it's not everything"-nursing staffs' experiences of moving to a new purpose-built forensic psychiatric clinic.International journal of qualitative studies on health and well-being · 2025Article
- Psychiatric spaces: a phenomenological case study of staff perspectives after relocation to a new mental health facility.International journal of qualitative studies on health and well-being · 2025Article
- Reducing incidents of violence and aggression and self-harm on a secure mental health inpatient ward for women with learning disabilities.BMJ open quality · 2025Article
- Article
- Healing spaces: a retrospective cohort study on the effect of outdoor spaces in psychiatric inpatient units on PRN medication use, seclusion/restraints, and constant observation.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesThis systematic literature review synthesizes and assesses empirical research concerning the use of the built environment as a therapeutic intervention in adult mental health inpatient facilities. The review explores the impact of facility design on patient outcomes.
backgroundThere is a growing recognition that the built environment in mental health facilities must strike a balance between ensuring safety and providing a therapeutic atmosphere. A review addressing how facility design contributes to this therapeutic environment is warranted.
methodsDatabase searches were conducted in CINAHL, Embase, PsychInfo, PubMed, and Web of Science from inception up to March 10, 2022. The Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN50) critical appraisal checklists were used to assess the quality of included studies.
resultsOf the 44 peer-reviewed studies identified from nine countries, 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. Yet, there is a need for research yielding stronger evidence-based designs harmonizing with therapeutic needs.
conclusionThis 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.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.