This fascinating National Public Radio story by Susan Stamberg reviews an exhibition at the National Building Museum exploring the links between architecture and mental health. It outlines the history of Washington, D.C.’s St. Elizabeths Hospital, first opened in 1855 and championed by Dorothea Dix, a pioneering advocate for more humane treatment of mental health patients.

The article states that Dix “‘believed that architecture and landscape architecture would really have a role in curing people.'” Do you agree? Have you witnessed physical surroundings play a significant role, either positively or negatively, for a patient or loved one with mental illness?

Some of the photos included in Stamberg’s story conjure up a dignified 19th century hotel. Dix was a proponent of having beautifully manicured grounds and St. Elizabeths was designed specifically to have “natural light and views of the outdoors” and “heat, tall arched windows and screened sleeping porches where patients could catch summer breezes.”

Writing Prompt: Use one of the photos from Stamberg’s story as a writing prompt for a free write. Imagine you are one of the patients (or nurses) in the St. Elizabeths Hospital of the 19th century. How does the space make you feel? Alternatively, if you’ve visited or worked in a contemporary inpatient mental health facility think about the design of the place. How could it be improved on? How do you think the features affect the inpatients? Write for 10 minutes.