A participatory program involving users, families, organisations, and mental health professionals is currently underway.
This morning, the Minister of Health, Manuela García, inaugurated the conference “Spaces That Care: Architecture in the Service of Mental Health and Emotional Well-being”, delivered by Rita Gasalla, president of the Observatory for Healthy Architecture (OAS) and a specialist in healthy architecture and neuroarchitecture.
Organised by the General Directorate of Mental Health, the conference is part of a pilot project aimed at designing a de-escalation space that fosters more suitable and humanised therapeutic environments in response to mental health crises in hospital emergency rooms.
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Mental Health Department Works on Designing a De-escalation Space to Promote Humanised Environments
In her speech, Minister García emphasised that “this initiative seeks to promote care based on human rights, but also aims to provide patients with greater autonomy that results in enhanced emotional well-being.” Ultimately, García stated, the goal is to promote “a care model that recognises the dignity, autonomy, and decision-making capacity of all individuals, focusing attention on their specific needs and personal preferences.”
Meanwhile, Carme Bosch, Director General of Mental Health, affirmed that architectural spaces are essential for achieving better patient satisfaction outcomes, and that mental health services are moving forward in this regard. This initiative aligns with the General Directorate’s strategy of fighting stigma and defending the human rights of individuals with mental health issues.
The aim is to create a model space designed with specific features in lighting, furniture, decoration, and with a range of visual, auditory, tactile, and even olfactory stimuli that can be perceived by the user, helping to reduce stress, anxiety, and agitation. Various studies highlight that this type of room contributes to lowering stress in mental health patients, significantly reduces isolation, and facilitates emotional containment.