Suicide prevention in psychiatric facilities present a unique set of problems. While no facility can be entirely safe and risk free, the majority of persons who attempt suicide suffer from a treatable mental disorder. Inpatients of psychiatric facilities are therefore considered high-risk: The environment should avoid physical hazards.

Probably the most important design feature of a psychiatric hospital or unit is maximizing visual observation of patients from the nurse station…

In the article Common Mistakes in Designing Psychiatric Facilities James M. Hunt discusses common pitfalls and the hurdles faced in planning the design of the environment and specifying equipment in a psychiatric facility.