Door, desks.
Desk and personal storage.
Room as single; nighttime.
Door, desks.
About
Essential Inpatient Room Features:
-
Access to Nature
-
Opportunities for Autonomy and Individuality
-
A white board
- Individual Lighting Controls
- Personal Storage
- Subtle visual zone division
-
Desk for writing and Working
-
Furniture, decor and fixtures that maximize safety of all users
-
Bed
-
Comfort
-
Window
Patient Demographic:
This room is tailored specifically towards low-risk mental health in-patients. This room will primarily serve patients 12+ struggling with anxiety or eating disorders. Considering the nature of the patients using the room, I determined that an in-room bathroom was unnecessary. Communal facilities will most effectively serve the patients projected to use the facility I have designed.
Room Type:
Convertible in-patient room that can be utilized as a single or double.
Rational:
Flexibility and adaptability of facilities is identified by experts as one of the most critical considerations in modern healthcare design. The COVID 19 Pandemic amplified the importance of this as hospitals were forced to convert rooms to accommodate large numbers of infectious patients. Using a typical mental health room footprint, this room is designed to be utilized as single, using one bed for sleep and the other as a lounge space, or as a double, utilizing both beds for patients. The space features a retractable 10’ long, floor to ceiling screen which is stored in a small wall cavity. The screen follows a recessed ceiling track and connects to mounting points on floor and ceiling to offer optional division of the space for privacy while in use as a double room.
The History of Mental Healthcare
Mental illness was misunderstood and improperly treated for a long time. “...mental illness was generally thought to be caused by a moral or spiritual failing, punishment and shame were often handed down to the mentally ill.” (NIH) Because of this, mental health facilities functioned more like prisons: designed to contain people rather than heal them. Facilities were uncomfortable and cruel. They were intended more to hide the inconvenient reality of mental health, than to heal those suffering. They were (and often still are) secluded from society, perpetuation harmful stereotypes surrounding even the most modern resources. Mental health was misunderstood for so long, many people suffered greatly due to lack of resources, or harmful “care”. Today these illnesses are much better understood and increasingly accepted socially. However, shame and suffering still infiltrate the lives of those who suffer today. Quality and accessibility of care continues to expand, but still drastically fails to meet the ever-growing need.
Modern Mental Health
-
20% of people are affected by MBH conditions each year (Duquette, Epler 2024)
-
The crisis is getting younger (Perez, 2024)
-
Mental health typically requires longer treatment time than other ailments (Duquette, Epler 2024)
-
There is a significant shortage of facilities and providers (Popp, 2023)
-
Providers often have long wait lists (Popp, 2023)
-
Emergency rooms are overburdened and under equipped for mental health care (Popp, 2023)
-
MBH decline is associated with other medical needs, better facilities can improve physical and mental health simultaneously (TCHD, 2024)
-
“Thoughtful and well-informed design can have a profound impact on patient experiences and outcomes.” Physically safe environments that don’t consider emotional harm aren’t effective spaces (Perez, 2024)
-
Sever conditions are most effectively treated with inpatient care