Effect of landscape design elements on promoting neuropsychological health of children

Abstract

The environmental design of built spaces can have neuro-psychological effects on humans. The design of hospital environments, especially for children, is probably more important than the other spaces because children are mentally more vulnerable than other social groups. This research aimed to examine the children's and therapists' views and perceptions on the effect of a children's hospital's landscape design elements to improve their neuropsychological health during their treatment period. Sixty sick children and 60 hospital staff (therapists) evaluated landscape images and responded to a questionnaire. Both respondent groups believed in the positive effects of landscape elements on all children's neuropsychological indices, including the increased emotional index, increased cognitive index, and reduced non-symptoms index. Both respondent groups firstly preferred children's features and secondly, water features. These preferences positively affected many neuropsychological indices of sick children. However, children chose water features as their priority, which positively affected sick children's relaxation. However, this view was not consistent with their therapists' views. The children and their therapists were also not in agreement on the impact of other landscape elements (trees, flowers, ground cover plants, turfgrasses, and mulch) on many neuropsychological indices of sick children. Therefore, based on this research, children's therapists cannot be good representatives for their psychological perceptions about the hospital's landscape elements when a direct assessment of children's perceptions is almost impossible. This research has practical recommendations for landscape professionals around the world on the sustainable design of therapeutic landscapes.