Gap in the Knowledge
The design, maintenance and operation of the built environment is intended to provide a safe and productive milieu for the occupants with the built environment rarely intentionally designed with the goal of improving mental health (Hoisington, 2019).
Moore and colleagues (2018) state that ‘very little robust public health evidence from intervention studies‘ and that different types of research are required ‘to go beyond traditional comparative research’. Current literature mainly uses qualitative data collection methods such as self-evaluation questionnaires and semi-structured interviews alongside quantitative data regarding the built environment presented as case studies.
From conducting this literature review, knowledge and understanding has been gained which will inform this research study. The following chapter will outline the ways in which this has enabled me to identify a gap in the knowledge which involves conducting empirical analysis of the effects of the built environment on mental health to present a comprehensive approach to designing the built environment to aid positive mental health.
Methodology
The research proposal will employ a mixed methodology approach in order to meet the objectives, through the collection and analysis of ‘both quantitative and qualitative data within the same study’ (Bowers et al. 2013; Creswell & Clark, 2011). This will allow the research to explore the diverse perspectives and uncover relationships which exist within the multifaceted research question (Shorten & Smith, 2017). The mixed research methods used to meet each objective will inform the following method, allowing for cohesive and holistic data to be gathered at each stage.
The research was carried out as part of an iterative process, allowing each objective to inform the next and has been analysed in stages and presented chronologically within the case study.
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