Participation of Mental Patients in the Process of Designing Curative Gardens to Increase the Social Stability in Therapeutic Centers

Due to the innate tendency of human beings to interact with nature and the significant effects of communication with nature in the human soul and body, human beings have always sought to create a logical and appropriate relationship between indoor space and outdoor nature. The quality of natural environments not only is not limited to the health and well-being of individuals, but it also provides their spiritual and psychological needs, paves the way for development and progress, identity formation, and extraction of various environmental experiences such as fun, vitality, and mind retrieval. Healing is a term that repeatedly seeks to enhance human comfort in the natural landscape. It is a quality that encompasses both body and mind, and generally refers to the spatial nature that cares about human health and improves it directly affects the human psyche. There are two common types of green space with healing properties: sensory gardens, which offer passive health benefits, and therapeutic (physical) gardens provide active relief. Along with the formation of human societies, the phenomenon of participation has emerged in order to strengthen social relations regarding the diversity of attitudes and schools. The definition of social sustainability refers to four key elements: social justice (meaning equal opportunities and human rights for all people, both now and for future generations), social solidarity (meaning empathy), participation (meaning providing opportunities for each individual in society so that each person can improve their quality of life) and security (meaning providing security in livelihood and Against natural hazards). Nowadays, stress is the cause of mental disorders in society. Due to the fact that a large number of people face a lack of medical centers appropriate to their moods, their needs, and using concepts related to social sustainability, the design of medical spaces can be solved by involving the audience according to their wishes. In the present study, by using qualitative strategy and using library studies, and applying the description-analysis method and effective components of the healing garden in improving patients. To determine the participation approach, the relationship of each component with the type of patient participation was identified through study and conclusion, which identified four types of participation approaches. First, in the planning stage, by selecting operating groups with an interpretive approach based on evidence-based design, the wishes and needs of patients are identified. Then, in cases of components that need to get enough information from patients, information is obtained through various tools such as questionnaires, interviews, etc. In the design stage, by reviewing the initial solutions and ideas obtained from the planning stage, using the regionalism approach to the indigenous cultural and historical features of the region, along with the universal design, which refers to the free and flexible design, to all tastes. The right answer will be given and the final product will be obtained with collective ideas. In all these approaches, the type of patient participation due to their specificity and personal limitations of individuals is indirectly discussed in the plan.