Garden as restorative environment for hospitalised children

Abstract

This book explains the causal relationship between human health and environment, describing how environmental elements including man-made structures, plants, and animals as well as natural forces such as winds and sunlight to foster the recovery process of ill children in hospital setting. It provides empirical evidences on why and how direct and visual experiences in garden help to increase the physical, cognitive and social performances of hospitalised children leading to their health recovery. The evidences are derived from a research design which has been synthesized from research methods from the fields of healthcare management, paediatric psychology, paediatric nursing and childhood development. It sum, this book describes the theoretical framework of health recovery with natural environment, methods to elicit children’s responses and evaluate their psychological well–being, and it explains the design and planning guidelines how to create garden in hospital for children’s restoration.