Differences in Design: How the Care Environment Impacts Healing and Patient Well-Being

The physical and architectural design elements in a child and adolescent inpatient psychiatric unit affect healthy development and healing experiences. The current chapter describes the evolution of inpatient psychiatric unit design in the United States as it transitioned from poor to restorative conditions over the past few centuries. Theories and applications of evidence-based health care design and environmental psychology are examined to identify how certain design elements influence patient outcomes and satisfaction. The University of Maryland Medical Center’s Inpatient Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Unit is used as a case study for designing a trauma-informed physical environment.