A scoping review of the impact on children of the built environment design characteristics of healing spaces
Nature-related elements in healthcare facilities can promote children’s health and well-being
This review of the literature focused on current research relating to how pediatric healthcare building design impacts the health and well-being of children. An understanding framing this review is that healing spaces for children are more than a “space” in which children receive medical treatments. The specific objective of the study was “to find variables, indicators, and principles that have been used in designing pediatric healing spaces and which are evidenced to impact healing and well-being in children.”
The review encompassed a five-stage process: “(1) research question is formed; (2) key words, search terms, and search strategy are identified; (3) databases are searched, and papers are assessed via inclusion and exclusion criteria; (4) information of the selected articles is extracted and summarized; and (5) key findings are interpreted and reported via comparative tabulation.” The first stage resulted in 173 papers. Thirteen of these papers met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed for this review. Three of the thirteen studies are systematic reviews, seven used quantitative research methods, and three qualitative methods. Most of the studies were conducted after 2006.
Nine elements of pediatric healthcare settings impacting children’s well-being were identified: (1) noise, (2) music, (3) lighting, (4) gardens and nature, (5) crowding, (6) color, (7) spatial needs, (8) play and distraction, and (9) art. Of these, the “most frequently mentioned dimension across the studies was healing gardens.” Evidence presented in this review – as well as other related research — clearly supports the value of healing gardens in hospital settings for adults and children. The evidence suggests that connection to nature acts as a buffer between life stressors and psychological distress. Several of the reviewed papers reported that having direct or even indirect access to nature can reduce pain and stress, enhance social functioning, and promote an increased sense of control in healthcare environments. Healing gardens provide opportunities for direct access to nature; pictures or virtual reality provide opportunities for indirect access. While healing gardens was the most frequently mentioned of the nine elements identified in this review, several other elements were also nature related. Natural (vs. artificial) lighting, for example, in addition to being associated with an improved sense of well-being, was also “found to reduce stress, pain, the duration of treatment, and improve children’s sleep status.” Art with nature-related motifs was also associated with healing. This was especially evident with tree-themed window murals. While certain art motifs – including sea, nature, animals, and shapes (such as waves) — were generally appreciated, some studies revealed age-related differences in art preferences. Children in the middle childhood age range, for example, tended to prefer more idyllic depictions of nature; older children tended to prefer more abstract depictions.
This research highlights ways in which the architecture of healthcare facilities can impact the health and well-being of children during their treatment experience. While elements of pediatric healthcare settings impacting children’s well-being were identified, the authors note that further research is needed to distinguish these variables from each other and to better understand how they interact.
Citation
Gaminiesfahani, H., Lozanovska, M., Tucker, R., (2020). A scoping review of the impact on children of the built environment design characteristics of healing spaces. Health Environments Research & Design Journal
