New research from 1931 reveals an intriguing insight into the world of mental health, showing that blue is consistently preferred by individuals experiencing mental illness. Conducted at the New York state psychiatric institute and hospital, the study surveyed 134 hospitalised patients, providing a unique glimpse into their colour preferences.
The experiment, led by Siegfried E. Katz with assistance from Dr. Cheney, presented patients with six distinct colours – red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet. The colours were carefully displayed on a grey cardboard, cut from Bradley coloured papers, to gauge each patient's preferred hues. While some participants provided a comprehensive list of their top six choices, others lost interest quickly, resulting in fewer selections.
The study found that blue emerged as the clear favourite among patients, with 38% of both schizophrenic and manic-depressive patients, along with 42% of all other patients, choosing it as their first preference. Green was a close second, with varying preferences between male and female patients – males tending towards green as a secondary choice, while females were more evenly split across green, red, and violet.
Interestingly, the study observed that hospitalisation duration played a role in colour preference. Patients with longer stays – those described as having 'most marked mental deterioration' – showed a subtle shift towards green and yellow. A small group of patients who had been at the hospital for an extended period even demonstrated an increased fondness for orange.
While these findings may seem surprising, they have important implications for the design of therapeutic environments. Dr. Katz recognised the potential practical applications of his research, suggesting that selecting colours pleasing to specific groups of patients could be a valuable consideration in furnishing living quarters. This early insight predates many modern considerations for creating supportive healthcare spaces.
Although conducted nearly a century ago, the study's observations still resonate with current trends in healthcare environments. Even today, uniform manufacturers like Bragard Medical Uniforms list royal blue, dark grey, and red as their most popular colours, which aligns with some of Katz's original findings – even if grey wasn't part of his colour palette.