What is it about?
The places where we live, work, study, and receive healthcare have a profound influence on our mental health and well-being. These clinical practice guidelines summarize the current scientific evidence on how natural environments, such as green spaces and water bodies, and built environments, including cities, neighborhoods, schools, hospitals, and residential facilities, affect psychological health across the lifespan. The guidelines discuss how environmental factors influence stress, depression, anxiety, resilience, cognitive health, and quality of life, particularly among vulnerable groups such as children, older adults, and people living with mental illnesses. They also provide practical recommendations for policymakers, urban planners, healthcare professionals, architects, and researchers to create healthier and more supportive environments. By integrating evidence from environmental science, psychiatry, public health, and urban planning, these guidelines promote an interdisciplinary approach to improving mental well-being through better environmental design and policy.
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Why is it important?
Mental health is shaped not only by biological and psychological factors but also by the environments in which people live. As urbanization accelerates and cities continue to expand, designing environments that promote mental well-being has become an important public health priority. These guidelines are among the first comprehensive Indian clinical practice guidelines to bring together evidence on the relationship between natural and built environments and mental health. They translate a rapidly growing body of international research into practical recommendations that are relevant to India and other low- and middle-income countries. The guidelines highlight how environmental planning, healthcare infrastructure, green spaces, transportation, housing, and community design can support better mental health outcomes while reducing health inequalities. Their interdisciplinary approach makes them valuable for clinicians, policymakers, urban planners, architects, public health professionals, and researchers working to build healthier and more resilient communities.
Perspectives
As psychiatrists, we often focus on diagnosing and treating mental illness, but the environments in which people live can either support recovery or contribute to psychological distress. Preparing these guidelines reinforced my belief that promoting mental health should extend beyond hospitals and clinics to include homes, neighborhoods, schools, workplaces, hospitals, and entire cities. Mental well-being should be considered whenever communities are planned, healthcare facilities are designed, or public policies are developed. I hope these guidelines encourage greater collaboration between mental health professionals, urban planners, architects, environmental scientists, and policymakers so that evidence-based environmental design becomes an integral part of mental health promotion. Investing in healthier environments is an investment in healthier people and more resilient communities.
Dr. Samrat Singh Bhandari
Sikkim Manipal University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Clinical practice guidelines on the environment and mental well-being, Indian Journal of Psychiatry, January 2024, Medknow,
DOI: 10.4103/indianjpsychiatry.indianjpsychiatry_792_23.
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