Acoustic design considerations for mental and behavioral healthcare facilities

The acoustic environment in healthcare settings can impact patient comfort and clinical outcomes. Design of mental and behavioral healthcare facilities have the unique challenge of balancing acoustic needs with the considerations of patient safety, maintenance requirements, and cost-effective design. The acoustic quality of these patient care spaces is often overlooked or considered impractical to achieve due to other design constraints. This evaluation reviews the applicable acoustic guidelines and unique design considerations related to mental and behavioral healthcare facilities, current design practices, and developer feedback for recently constructed facilities.