The prevalence of mental health disorders in urban areas is increasing due to the exposure to environmental stressors. Research has shown that sensory urban design interventions can have positive...Show moreThe prevalence of mental health disorders in urban areas is increasing due to the exposure to environmental stressors. Research has shown that sensory urban design interventions can have positive impacts on mental health and well-being. This research paper aims to investigate how TU Delft students experience sensory design interventions on campus and how these interventions can contribute to improving mental health and well-being among students in Dutch cities. The study was conducted using a qualitative and observational research design and data was collected through a questionnaire composed of multiple-choice and open questions. The research suggested that environments that include sensory design interventions, such as the TU Delft campus library, the botanical garden and Pulse, positively impacted the students’ mental health and well-being. Furthermore, several themes were discovered that played a big role in the sensory experience of the participants. These themes were availability, comfort, aesthetics, noise levels and light. The results provide insights for urban planners to implement sensory urbanism on other campuses and decrease mental health problems among students in Dutch cities. The study highlights the importance of considering sensory urban design interventions in urban planning to improve the mental health and well-being of city residents.Show less
In this study, nurses’ well-being is explored in the context of the local efforts working towards nurses’ wellness. The often silenced voices of Kenyan nurses are transformed into a theatre script...Show moreIn this study, nurses’ well-being is explored in the context of the local efforts working towards nurses’ wellness. The often silenced voices of Kenyan nurses are transformed into a theatre script to portray the findings. An ethnographic research gap on the topic focuses on the qualitative study of well-being through psychological, socio-economic, and political lenses. The research is grounded in theory from Giddens (1984), Sen (1993), and De Bruijn and Both (2018), and navigates the agency-structure debate along with the model of duress to reflect on and understand the nurses’ position in a constraining environment. The research focused on two level 5 facilities, which are county referral hospitals, in two different counties of Kenya. The following research methods are conducted: a survey on socio-economic well-being with 65 respondents; interviews focusing on factors affecting nurses' well-being conducted through 4 focus group discussions with 39 nurses of different seniority levels and facilities, and informal interviews with approximately 25 nurses; and lastly, participant observation focusing on nurses agency and structures in places of gathering. Altogether, the results conclude that the healthcare structures pertain as constraints on the nurses’ agency and well-being despite the local efforts against this that may seem to have a positive impact. This is not to say that such local efforts should not continue, but rather to add a widespread focus on changing the outdated health structures that are limiting the majority of Kenya’s health workforce.Show less
This study explored the association between acculturation discrepancies and well-being and the moderating effect of social support of friends. The research was designed to ascertain this effect in...Show moreThis study explored the association between acculturation discrepancies and well-being and the moderating effect of social support of friends. The research was designed to ascertain this effect in first- and second-generation Moroccan immigrants. The study was conducted in The Netherlands. Participants of this study were 50 adolescents - in the range of 13 and 20 years old - and filled in a questionnaire. To measure acculturation this questionnaire contained questions about their preferences for a certain acculturation strategy (integration, assimilation, separation) and what their opinion is about which strategy they have to adjust according to the Dutch society. Furthermore, it is studied if these perceptions are associated with well-being and experiencing social support of friends. In contrast to the expectations, acculturation discrepancies and well-being are not associated. The extent to which participants experience social support of friends is positively associated with the degree of well-being. In addition, this study showed acculturation discrepancies and well-being are not moderated by social support of friends.Show less
