Environmental Psychology Theories in Healthcare Design: A Comprehensive Review of Literature on the Impact of Design on Healthcare Staff

This paper provides a comprehensive assessment of the literature on theories, models, and perspectives in environmental psychology, with a focus on their implications for healthcare design. The review was conducted using the PubMed and Scopus databases, with articles ranging from January 2010 to September 2022. Boolean operators were used to search for terms such as “physical environment”, “staff outcomes”, “hospital”, “theory”, and related terms, with searches limited to titles and abstracts. Peer-reviewed journal papers, electronic database articles, healthcare setting research, English language publications, and full-text availability were among the inclusion criteria. Exclusions included review papers, questionnaire creation tools, and non-healthcare sector studies. Following the initial title screening and abstract inspection, 16 papers were selected for full-text study. The review identified thirteen pre-existing theories and three in the analyzed publications. The transdisciplinary approach investigated human behavioral responses and motivations. The result of the review adds to a better understanding of ideas that influence healthcare design and organizational dynamics within healthcare settings. Integrating empirical research and theoretical views provides significant direction for architects, healthcare planners, designers, and stakeholders who want to build supportive and therapeutic environments that improve healing and wellness outcomes in healthcare settings.