Green Environment, Mental Health, and Loyalty among Male and Female Patients

Abstract

Background: Existing studies revealed that exposure to green spaces within healthcare establishments has multiple physical and mental health benefits to patients. In this context, the concept of biophilic design has received growing attention among environmental psychology researchers. Several studies indicated that the positive effect of green environment may be different for males and females. Therefore, the present study sought to investigate the influence of biophilic design elements (i.e., green items and natural light) on patients'self-rated mental health value, satisfaction with medical care, and loyalty toward the healthcare establishment. The study also investigated the possible influence of gender differences in the relationships between the variables. Methods: A structural equation modeling was employed as a data analysis technique. Results: Our empirical result indicated that biophilic design elements significantly improved the patients' self-rated mental health value, and this dimension had a positive effect on their satisfaction with medical care and loyalty toward the health care facility. Our findings indicated that the relationships among biophilic design elements, self-rated mental health value, satisfaction with medical care, and loyalty toward the healthcare establishment were substantially different across male and female groups. Moreover, self-rated mental health value and satisfaction with medical care acted as significant mediators between biophilic design elements and loyalty. Conclusions: Results of this study offer healthcare practitioners and researchers valuable strategies to effectively incorporate biophilic design elements into the interior spaces of a healthcare establishment.

The Effects of the Biophilic Atmosphere on Hedonic Value, Utilitarian Value, and Customer Loyalty

“…Numerous studies have explored the concept of biophilic atmospheres, examining the presence of these environmental factors, which have a significant influence on individuals' cognitive and emotional responses as well as their behaviors [8,[10][11][12]14,15]. As a result, in line with the existing body of literature, this research is situated within the framework of the stimulus-organism-response (abbreviated as SOR) paradigm of environmental psychology [43,44].…”

“…Therefore, biophilic atmospheres are fundamental for human well-being [12,24,45] and for the balance of ecosystems [1,2]. These settings provide a series of essential benefits for society, which manifest in opportunities for recreational and functional experiences, often conceptualized as hedonic and functional values perceived by the customer [32,46,47].…”

“…Prior research has demonstrated the positive effect of the biophilic atmosphere on issues such as attitudes [8,9], resilience to stress [10,11], value of mental health [12], psychological benefits [9,10], restoration of attention [7], emotions [10,13,14], satisfaction [11,12,15], perceived quality [14], well-being [5,10], productivity [5], consumption [9], pro-environmental behavior [11,15], and loyalty of visit [11][12][13].…”

“…This means analyzing the relationships and effects caused by this typology of nature features. Regarding its potential effects, the following have been identified: benefits in attention restoration [7], attitude improvement [8,9], increase in stress resilience [10,11], mental health benefits [12], psychological benefits [9,10], emotion stimulation [10,13,14], and satisfaction [11,12,15].…”

“…Additionally, these benefits can positively affect other dependent variables such as perceived quality [14], well-being [5,10], productivity [5], consumption [9], pro-environmental actions [11,15] and people's behavior measurements such as intentions to visit [13], behaviors of approach/avoidance [14], and loyalty towards service environments [12]. Despite extensive research in this field, it is noticeable that, to date, the relationship between biophilic atmosphere and the dimensions of consumer perceived value have not yet been systematically explored, nor have its effects on customer loyalty in this context been sufficiently addressed.…”