Toward a Future Orientation: A Supportive Mental Health Facility Environment

Journal article, 2024

Background: The provision of supportive environments is essential in clinical and environmental psychology. Mental health disorders are a major issue, and the experience of being at a mental health facility is affected by numerous factors related to the building’s design. Aim: The aim of this study is to explore the expectations of a mental health facility planning group regarding the potential impact of a supportive design on patients’ mental health and staff’s therapeutic practices when planning and designing a new mental health facility. Methods: The new mental health facility is a case study and data were collected through qualitative in-depth interviews with nine participants and analyzed using a thematic analysis. The participants came from a mental health facility planning group in a new mental health facility in Norway. Results: The overall expectation of the new building was related to a future orientation to support patients’ mental health and therapeutic practices. Three main themes were identified: toward a future orientation, supportive building design, and work environment. Conclusions: Supportive environments are expected to influence patients’ mental health and staff’s therapeutic practices, including providing options for novel treatment needs in contrast to older and more outdated buildings that are perceived as hindering appropriate treatment conditions.