Redefining Wellbeing in Finnish Psychiatric Hospitals: User Engagement in Creating Healing Spaces Amidst Administrative and Ideological Change

Synopsis

As psychiatric care in Finland integrates with somatic healthcare, the traditional meaning of well-being supportive design is evolving. Previously located in remote, naturally beautiful environments, psychiatric hospitals are now being moved to urban hospital campuses – to de-stigmatize psychiatric care, optimise resources and provide patients with equal access to a broader range of medical services. These new hospitals prioritise functionality and flexibility, offer safe outdoor areas, high-quality workspaces, and sensory-friendly environments with carefully chosen materials, colours, and acoustic solutions.

User engagement is customary in designing any public building in Finland; however, in this context, it played a particularly crucial role. New hospitals were combining functions that have not been under one roof before. New challenges had to be solved: how to protect patients’ privacy while offering access to outdoor spaces in a densely built hospital campus; how to accommodate the needs of growing aging population; and how to create diverse and high-quality working environments – which is especially important in demanding field of psychiatric care, as Finland deals with staff shortages.

The participatory design process involved dozens of workshops with stakeholder groups, utilizing case studies, tours, virtual reality models, and site visits. Together with the users, designers aimed to create dignifying hospital environments that meet the needs of modern psychiatric care but stay within the limitations of the project. Key solutions included clear separation of staff and patient spaces, diverse shared facilities, minimizing disruptions by carefully planning logistical paths and routes of patients and visitors.

Although the old psychiatric hospital campuses can no longer fulfil the modern demands, they successfully adapted to the changing standards of care for over a century. We hope that the new generation of hospitals will also be able to change and develop along with psychiatric treatment practices.