Psychologically Informed Environments: a literature review

In this report, commissioned by St Mungo’s, the Mental Health Foundation has reviewed the evidence available on Psychologically Informed Environments (PIEs) in UK homelessness settings.

PIEs are conscious of the mental health needs of the people that inhabit them. In the context of homelessness this means that in hostels and relevant care environments there is an awareness of the mental health problems of the homeless people using the services, and how the environment may affect their mental health positively or negatively.

The report shows that PIEs are a promising development with evidence indicating that they work. However, it also concludes that further research is needed, particularly into the factors contributing to the successful implementation of PIEs and how to measure outcomes.