Rosetta Stone

September 25, 2020

Thermal Comfort + Mental Health

Talking Points • Research Brief • Collection Database


Thermal Comfort - Mental Health Talking Points

Summary

The thermal environment of a space has an impact on the psychological state of the occupants (Yoshida 2015, Tanabe 2007, Akimoto 2010, Wagner 2006, Van Hoof 2010, Fossum 2001).

Keywords

Thermal comfort, mental health, fatigue, vitality, anxiety, personal control

Mental Fatigue and Vitality

  • Temperatures above the recommended threshold (78.8 degrees Fahrenheit) are correlated with an increase in mental fatigue (Yoshida 2015, Tanabe 2007)
  • Worker vitality, the desire to participate in activities after work hours, decreases when subject is in thermal discomfort. As mental fatigue increases, worker vitality decreases (Akimoto 2010).

Personal Control and Anxiety

  • Personal control over the thermal environment of a space has been correlated to positive psychological responses (Wagner 2006, Van Hoof 2010).
  • When a patient in a hospital has the ability to control their personal environment before a procedure, the patient’s anxiety significantly decreased (t=3.85, P=.0002) (Wagner 2006).
  • Patients in preoperative care have been found to associate warm air with positive feelings of comfort and a significant decrease in anxiety (t=1.87, P=.06) (Wagner 2006, Fossum 2001).

Key References

Review Articles
  • Fossum, Susan, Judy Hays, and Mary Margaret Henson. “A comparison study on the effects of prewarming patients in the outpatient surgery setting.” Journal of PeriAnesthesia Nursing 16, no. 3 (2001): 187-194.
  • Van Hoof, Joost, Mitja Mazej, and Jan LM Hensen. “Thermal comfort: research and practice.” Frontiers in Bioscience 15, no. 2 (2010): 765-788.
Primary Research
  • Akimoto, Takashi, Shin-ichi Tanabe, Takashi Yanai, and Masato Sasaki. “Thermal comfort and productivity-Evaluation of workplace environment in a task conditioned office.” Building and environment 45, no. 1 (2010): 45-50.
  • Tanabe, Shin-ichi, Naoe Nishihara, and Masaoki Haneda. “Indoor temperature, productivity, and fatigue in office tasks.” HVAC&R Research 13, no. 4 (2007): 623-633.
  • Wagner, Doreen, Michelle Byrne, and Katharine Kolcaba. “Effects of comfort warming on preoperative patients.” AORN journal 84, no. 3 (2006): 427-448.
  • Yoshida, Atsumasa, Takezo Hisabayashi, Kenta Kashihara, Shinichi Kinoshita, and Shoko Hashida. “Evaluation of effect of tree canopy on thermal environment, thermal sensation, and mental state.” Urban Climate 14 (2015): 240-250.