Treating the whole person: Designing modern mental health facilities

Mental health issues no longer carry the stigma that they once did. Awareness campaigns and new research have helped bring our understanding of the brain—and how to design for its heath—into the 21stcentury. In recent years, the design industry has learned exactly how big an impact physical environments have on patient outcomes and staff productivity, especially in mental health facilities. We’ve moved away from solely focusing on seclusion, security and safety to designing welcoming, holistic environments that promote emotional, physical and psychological wellbeing.