Nature on reducing Stress

The Art of Healing by Virginia Postrel

In the article "The Art of Healing" by Virginia Postrelas published in, "The Atlantic", Ms. Postrel relays her experience in a cancer treatment center, one that is "state of the art" but lacking in updated decor. The article discusses how hospitals are beginning to focuses theirattention on the updating their interiors but they are primarily in the public areas leaving individual rooms resembling "a Motel 6 from the 70's".

Ms. Postrel uses the 1984 Science article by Roger S. Ulrich in which he studied patients recovering from gallbladder surgery and during the clinical study discovered that the patients that stared at brick walls all day had longer hospital stays 8.70 days versus 7.96 days for those patients that had rooms overlooking a tree covered area. The study was controlled and will be discussed at greater length in our section about specifically about Roger Ulrich, who is now at the Center for Health Systems and Design at Texas A&M.

Further studies in 2005 as cited by Ms. Postrel, show that patients in sunny rooms took 22% less pain medication than those in gloomy rooms and other subjects reported reduced stress and anxiety when viewing nature images as opposed to drab gloomy walls. Ms. Postrel continues by quoting Roger Ulrich that some mediums, "TV broadcasts an abstract art, can in fact increase a patients stress".

There are numerous ways to reduce the stress of a patient by altering the asthetics of a hospital but the patients are not the only inhabitants of the hospital. Are the patients going to show even more decreased recovery time if the staff of the hospital constantly exhibits a happier mood? Are the staff members going to exhibit a greater desire to come to work if the atmosphere is one of less drap and gloom and more of turning the corner to see a sunset over the ocean or a waterfall in a national park? And we're not talking about a still photo or inspirational poster, we're talking about a high definition video of the actual sun setting over the ocean with the high quality sound of the water lapping up on the shore or one of a waterfall with the water tumbling over the edge and the roar of the water as it plunges to the river below. Or how would you like to wake up to the ocean gently lapping up on a secluded beach as the palm trees sway gently in the breeze, excuse me you have a mosquito on your hand.

Click on the link to view the article in its entirity. The Art of Healing by Virginia Postrel

Clinical Papers on Nature and the Reduction of Stress/Anxiety

Clinical Studies