Substituting Restorative Benefits of Being Outdoors through Interactive Augmented Spatial Soundscapes

TL;DR

This paper explores how augmented spatial natural soundscapes can replicate outdoor restorative benefits for older adults in indoor care settings, aiming to improve mental health and well-being.

Contribution

It introduces a study on using augmented soundscapes to substitute outdoor experiences for older adults with limited outdoor access in care facilities.

Findings

Preliminary evidence suggests soundscapes can evoke restorative feelings.

Design guidelines for interactive augmented soundscapes are proposed.

Potential for improved mental health outcomes in indoor care environments.

Abstract

Geriatric depression is a common mental health condition affecting majority of older adults in the US. As per Attention Restoration Theory (ART), participation in outdoor activities is known to reduce depression and provide restorative benefits. However, many older adults, who suffer from depression, especially those who receive care in organizational settings, have less access to sensory experiences of the outdoor natural environment. This is often due to their physical or cognitive limitations and from lack of organizational resources to support outdoor activities. To address this, we plan to study how technology can bring the restorative benefits of outdoors to the indoor environments through augmented spatial natural soundscapes. Thus, we propose an interview and observation-based study at an assisted living facility to evaluate how augmented soundscapes substitute for outdoor restorative, social, and experiential benefits. We aim to integrate these findings into a minimally intrusive and intuitive design of an interactive augmented soundscape, for indoor organizational care settings.