The design and landscaping of hospital green areas in accordance with the needs of patients, staff and doctors can have a health-promoting effect. These are the key findings of a study by the MedUni Vienna, led by Renata Cervinka from the Institute for Environmental Hygiene at the Centre for Public Health. Involved in the study were the representatives of three hospitals in Lower Austria, whose local hospital gardens were the subject of an environmental psychological and free space planning analysis. A further result of the study: “The more natural the garden, the greater the experience,” says Cervinka.
“The gardens and green spaces of a hospital should be regarded as a counterbalance to the hospital itself,” explains the environmental and health psychologist. “The garden is perceived as a natural contrast to the hospital – it serves as a place of sanctuary and recuperation.” This is also confirmed by the study: green, very natural landscaped gardens came closest to the ideal hospital garden imagined by the 411 potential patients who were surveyed anonymously on the web.
This result also echoes the findings of earlier studies: as far back as 1984, Roger Ulrich discovered that a view from the hospital room overlooking green spaces has more of a “healing” effect than a view of a concrete wall. Patients with a view of green space spent less time in the hospital, were generally more happy with their care and required less pain-relieving medication.
Just three minutes in the garden can have positive effects
“Deep breathing in a green space for just three minutes can have a positive effect,” says study co-author Kathrin Rödere. “The smoking break is firmly entrenched in modern life, however the ‘mental’ break isn’t, unfortunately.”
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