Relationship of design and architectural factors of nursing homes with the mental health of their residents

Abstract

Objectives Disregarding the quality of nursing homes can affect the mental health of older people living there. This study aimed to determine the relationship between the designing and architecture of nursing homes with the residents' mental health. Methods & Materials This research was descriptive-correlational. With purposeful sampling, we selected 158 elderly residents of the nursing homes of Shahriyar and Qods cities in Tehran Province. Then, we obtained the study data by two questionnaires of designing and architecture of nursing homes and mental health. To analyze the data, the Pearson correlation coefficient and multiple regression analysis were used. Results The Mean±SD values of the study variables were as follows: light and brightness (22.93±4.96), public space (27.41±5.01), personal space (25.15±7.27), access space (28.62±3.69), green space (37.48±6.43), physical illnesses (16.47±2.99), anxiety and insomnia (16.51±3.99), social function disorder (12.13±2.72), and depression (16.39±3.08). The degree of correlation coefficients of designing and architecture and its components, i.e. light and brightness, public, personal, access and green spaces with the mental health of the elderly were -0.622, -0.328, -0.503, -0.404, -0.471, and -0.318, respectively (P<0.001). According to regression analysis, designing and architecture factors explain 40.2% of the mental health of older people (P<0.05). Conclusion It is hoped that relevant authorities recognize the importance of proper designing and architecture for nursing homes and by following the necessary standards improve the mental health of the older people living in nursing homes.