The Influence of Evidence-Based Design on Staff Perceptions of a Supportive Environment for Person-Centered Care in Forensic Psychiatry

Abstract

This prospective longitudinal study aimed to examine the relocation of three forensic psychiatric hospitals in Sweden into new facilities. The research focused on the effects of the physical and psychosocial environment and other staff-related parameters on the delivery of person-centered care after relocation. In forensic psychiatry, most relocations to new environments are to support a person-centered approach and to promote patients' rehabilitation and reintegration into society. Hopefully, this is undertaken in accordance with an evidence-based design strategy allowing improvement in staff satisfaction and working conditions as well as their capacity to provide individualized care. All staff members working on the wards of the facilities in question were invited to participate in the study. Data were collected prospectively between 2010 and 2014, before and after relocation of the forensic psychiatric clinics to new buildings. Structured validated questionnaires were employed. Staff members' job satisfaction and perceptions of a person-centered physical and psychosocial environment increased after relocation and provide evidence that staff perceptions of ward atmosphere in forensic psychiatric clinics are susceptible to factors in the physical and psychosocial environment. The importance of always taking the environmental factors into consideration, to achieve greater staff well-being and capacity to accomplish goals in forensic psychiatry, is emphasized.

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