ABSTRACT
This chapter combines the literature review by Mardelle McCuskey Shepley& Samira Pasha, and an in-depth subsequent exploration between 2013 and 2016. The pertinent environmental qualities were: well-maintained, visual and physical access to the outdoors, attractive and aesthetically pleasing, deinstitutionalized and homelike, and orderly and organized. Studies on the design of mental health facilities generally fall into one of three categories: the relationship between the physical environment and social behavior, pre- and post-occupancy studies, and the relationship between the physical environment and inappropriate and harmful behavior. In the worst case, designs based on the level of knowledge will serve as laboratories to examine the appropriateness of preliminary recommendations. The researchers gathered data from longitudinal interviews and behavioral observation in eight 24-bed houses, addressing a broad range of physical elements including site, administration, infirmary, school, occupational therapy, recreation, and components of the residential units.
